I have been a slacker! Rather than let these photos cause my 900th computer crash fall by the wayside, how about we play a quick little game of catch (up)?
Last week, vital wheat gluten met my bestie, the chickpea.
I went with the tried and true (recipe from V’con) for chickpea seitan cutlets. Can cookbooks win Pulitzers? So simple, so genius.
I barely let them cool before taste testing them out on a piece of bread (and subsequently losing a layer of skin on the roof of my mouth). Yum yum.
The magic bullet definitely came in handy – adios to sore forearm muscles! The chickpeas were blended up in 1, 2, 3 quick seconds with a few larger chunks left for texture (which was important given the gooey texture of the VWG).
Anyways, more on what to DO with the chickpea cutlets later.
Monday was such a Monday (usually I don’t have those typical feelings about specific days of the week, since my work schedule is random and not the Mon-Fri drill). But this was a particularly rough day since I woke up sooooo sore. I stretched for a solid 10 minutes before getting myself put together for work. Here are my pre-packed eats:
Notice the new bar? Not the odwalla superfood (that bad boy has already proved itself time and time again, so it will forever be on the starting lineup). I’m talking about the thinkThin white chocolate chip bar.
Ok, I bought this bar on a whim weeks ago, because the cute wrapper won me over (I’m a sucker for packaging – aka a marketer’s wet dream). But since then, I have put off eating it because of it’s sketchy ingredients. Carpe diem, I guess?
Pros: My stomach wasn’t even upset by it. In fact, my tum was (dare I say it?) PLEASED with it! I felt content, and there were no lethargic side effects or other icky symptoms of GI rejection (which are so common in my life, I basically consider it a standard). Also, there is mucho protein. Me likey. Cons: The ingredients are fairly hideous, and the “thin” marketing is slightly annoying. I prefer to be “fit” not “thin,” but I get the idea behind the advertising, so I’ll let it slide. Also, the texture was really weird. It’s not a bar that you can really take a bite out of, as it bends and stretches. Sorta odd. Sorta fake. Will I buy it again? I think I just might (not on a regular basis, but still).
Check out the ensalada genius-ness: spinach, carrots, leftover root vegetables, balsamic grilled tofu chunks, and quinoa (buried out of view apparently).
Work was – you know – work. I survived. So did my patients. Then I came home for dinner.
Hangry and about to chew my arm off, I opted for the quickest thing.
I plated a sh!t ton of spinach topped with 2 chickpea seitan cutlets and half an avocado. It was great, but far not CARB-Y enough…so I chopped the salad up, and made space for the standard hungry hungry hippie addition – a heap of quinoa mixed with hummus, plus an even BIGGER heap of nooch 🙂
The hummus/nooch combo rocked my world so much, I had to have another serving.
This time I added chickpeas, too. Favorite dish alert!!
Dessert was peaches and strawberries. I could have died and gone to foodie heaven after this meal. Forget pie, fruit is so dang good on it’s own, why mess with what nature already perfected?
Seriously, is there anything better than a big juicy bowl of fruit?
I did more stretching before starting my PM routine, then limped my way to bed. Hopefully I won’t have to deal with this stiffness tomorrow (TWSS).
MMmmm quinoa + hummus.. I must try that! What’s nooch?
And the sweet + salty almond odwalla bar = AMAZING! i think i might even like it more than the chocolate one.. and i’m a sucker for anything chocolate! definitely try it out!!
That fruit bowl looks amazing. My dad always calls me a freak when I eat fruit for dessert… as if I don’t switch it up with ice cream on the reg? haha
stretch it out gurrrrrl.
mm I don’t EVER want peaches to go out of season. they’re for sewious top notch right now.
please become my personal chef..
quinoa and hummus?! Brilliant! Two of my favorite foods, I’ve got to give this a try!
I agree with everything you say about the Think Thin bar. They are…interesting. Not the best, not the worst, but full of tons of stuff. But hey, its protein!
Glad to have the bar review – I have been wondering about those thin little boogers. You made me want to at least try one.
I also totally agree with the fruit. There is nothing more perfect than a bowl of fruit.
You always crack me up! I love reading your blog and all the amazing food you eat!
Yay for hummus + nutritional yeast! I knew you would love it 🙂
“Seriously, is there anything better than a big juicy bowl of fruit?”
Um, no! I think that fresh fruit even beats out the hummus and nutritional yeast combo, in my book. And that is saying A LOT!
Courtney
The Think thin label bugs me to! Think fit or Think healthy is better! Juicy bowl of fruit sounds good any time of the day pour moi!
OK, quinoa, hummus and chickpeas????!!! You are brilliant.
I hope yo gives your sore muscles a massage on this glorious hump day. Muhaha
And about the fruit–I’m so with you! I’ve always wondered why people like fruit-flavored candy. The real thing is so much better! Much love, boo!
It suddenly struck me that “chickpea” is an absolutely hysterical word. Don’t mind me while I die laughing.
A big bowl of fruit has a very close contender in a big bowl of vegetables… but beyond that, no. :p
<3 <3
I love your blog and always check it out but never comment (hey theres a first time for everything!!) I love the quinoa/chickpea mixture.. hello protein!! Have a good one!
Hey mama thanks for the kind comment you left on PB & J’s site about the guest yoga post I did. I know you’re a runner, and I only run about 45-50 miles a week, a little over 6.5 a day (not really that much compared to you I’m sure!) but I do the running as a sidebar to my yoga. My yoga is my passion, my thang, and I started out a decade ago with it trying to supplement my running and make me a better runner..but in the past decade, it’s flip flopped and I can’t imagine a day without yoga 🙂 I know you’re hardcore runner girl, but just try it sometime, even if you look like a joker, no one will care. People are so much more enlightened now anyway than when I started and they wont even pay attention to you.
Onto the nooch…I scored some! I blogged about it today and the making of kale chips. Success, un real awesome flava!
But I went to make your white nooch sauce and discovered the recipe is kinda non existant and buried in comments and when you get a chance, if you’re cool with it, can you post it? I can’t do soy thought and am thinkin there’s a hunk o tofu in your recipe…either way though, I’d love to tweak it!
Peace mama 🙂
averie
I am such a sucker for bar packaging too! I think thats why I am retrying all these luna bars that I really don’t like haha. If you decide to go on a whim again try the pb crunch think thin bar – its actually quite delightful 🙂
lol marketer’s wet dream! today is national white chocolate day.. that would be the right bar to eat. hey, maybe she WOULD wanna deal with the stiffness! 😉
I bought Veganomicon PURELY for the chickpea cutlet recipes. Then found out vital wheat gluten isn’t available in the UK so gave the book to my brother for Christmas (shhhh!)
I am on the fence about ThinkThin. Hated the taste, texture and name (though loved the packaging!)…yet there was something ‘good’ about them? The new ‘bites’ are supposedly really good. For processed chemically bars, I think cookie dough balance is my favourite.
I need to try more with this nooch business as I see it everywhere in blog world–I have to get with the times! When I do get some I am totally going for the grains+hummus+nooch combo, sounds like a winner!
My local health food store is OUT of nooch. Horrible! I need to locate some quickly, because somehow TJ’s three-layer hummus found its way into my grocery cart yesterday. YUM.
I Isa-ed it up yesterday too, my little uptown twin. Hope you’re having a fabbity fab day!
That does look like one hell of a combo!
Those Think Thin bars annoy me marketing-wise. I don’t like the message. Grr.
I DO like the look of both your salads! Mucho!
I have been trained to be a sucker for packaging. My mom was a graphic designer and loves all things artsy. She actually picks out wine based on the label art. I’m not ashamed to say I have been suckered into the same mentality. I have thought many a time about buying those thinkthin bars because they’re pretty. But I don’t… because I’m cheap.
I can’t wait to see what else you do with chickpeas. I cooked up an entire bag the other day and I don’t want them to go bad before I use them all!
I’m a sucker for packaging too – if something is sparkly, I don’t stand a chance.
I hate, hate, hate the ThinkThin name. Ughhh couldn’t they have picked something a little less ‘diet bar’-ish?!
Oh, hello hummus-nooch-chickpea-quinoa quadruple threat. How you doin’?
Hope you’re like Stretch Armstrong now 🙂
still have not tried on of those think thin bars…. def. in a larabar rut but my stash of those is getting close to nothing soo
and i just made a new batch of tofummus yUm!
Those chickpea cutlets sound so good!! Everyone keeps talking about them, but I am lazzzzzzze. Someday, right?
I also really want to try that White Choc Chip bar!
HAPPY THURSDAY GIRL!
OH YAY for all this good food I feel like eating. I have been living on cereal for breakfast, bars for lunch, apple and nut butter for a snack, and pita chips and hummus for dinner all week. It doesn’t sound that bad…for days upon days…’tis.
ThinkThin bars kind of taste like artificial air to me. It that was possible. Then they remind me of charleston chews…if you ever had those as a kid.
My great gramps won 2 pulitzer prizes for political cartoons for The New York Post 😉
NOOCH…I think I need to try it. OR parma.. Kailey LOVES da stuff!
<3 <3
haha, good point.
ive heard it before, and often times from former die hard runners (like yourself)…and i really really DO want to stop saying it and start DOING it…anyways, your kale chips looked seriously DROOL-worthy. i wish i had a dehydrator, maybe ill just put the oven on super low and go at it…
as for the noochy cheesy recipe, it did have tofu in it, but i used more tofu than it called for merely because i didnt have agar flakes to thicken it up. im sure you could figure out a way to cut the tofu and use less of the agar to make it saucy (the agar amt called for in the recipe makes it too thick to use as a sauce – its more like a recipe to make actual cheese that i adapted).
anyways, here it is:
*Classic White Un-Cheese*
(adapted from Joanne Stepaniak’s cookbook Vegan Vittles) 1/4 cup reg firm tofu (pressed, patted dry) *i used silken 3 tbs nutritional yeast 2-3 tbs tahini 2 tbs fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 tbs miso *i used 1/2 tbs bc i think this stuff is VERY potent 1 tsp onion granules *i used onion powder 3/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp garlic granules *i omitted for kyle’s sake 3/4 cup water 3 tbs agar flakes *i omitted to get a sauce texture, rather than a real cheese block
(if you use this recipe, you will get a block of cheese, I omitted the agar flakes to get a sauce instead) other adjustments are noted with the *
i know!! i dont like luna bars and yet i keep thinking “maybe this time!” – nope
your secret is safe with me…haha. oh and btw, i am def gonna try and find those bites.
nutritional yeast. it is SOOOOO good. try to find it at your local health foods (or whole foods) store. add it to EVERYthing, you won’t be disappointed, in fact you might develop a bit of an obsession (like i did), so theres your warning…enjoy!!
dude, tell your pops hes loco. haha.
as always youre ON THE $$
they are SUCH charleston chews! have you ever had kashi chewy bars? bc THEY are TOTES charleston chews, the exact flave and all.
I just discovered a Superfood bar in my stash this evening. After your rave review, I might have to dig it out soon and enjoy:)
they are green and YUMMY!
thx steph 🙂
ive heard the bites are good, so maybe ill try those next. the bars have me on the fence, but def worth a try…
i agree 100% – its an annoying advertising ploy. i wish i had the ability to resist the name, but “white chocolate” still successfully lured me in…dang it.
thanks for de-lurking! love hearing from readers, espesh when it leads me to your blog! werent beans and quinoa just BORN to be together??
Is it sick that I kind of LIKE waking up sore?! TWSS? No, really. It makes me feel like I actually did something. But that’s just me. I’m sorry you don’t like it and I’m sorry your Monday wasn’t the best 🙁
I’ve tried the ThinkThin bar once and felt similarly…not in love, not a hater.
MY HOUSE CHEF MADE HUMMUS! MY HOUSE CHEF MADE HUMMUS!!! I had to tell youuuu. It’s ultra creamy and delicious, but not overly so! Isn’t that just the best news ever?! 🙂 I have been eating it everyday!!
Ok, back to YOUR post. Thinkthins are protein-y but good all at the same time. Protein is good, but that protein-y flavor that many bars have is not! I’m droolin’ over that last fruit bowl, AND I kinda need to try those chickpea seitan cutlets!! MMMM.
LOVE U! (sorry this was such a spastic comment) xooo
OMG! best house chef evah! so jealous. how cute that they indulge your taste buds. yummmmm
i DO like being a little sore, but so stiff i cant move? hmmm…not so much.