Peanut Cabbage Slaw With Mustard-Crusted Tofu

It tasted so good that we weren't
too picky about presentation! 

I recently had a friend over for a weeknight dinner, and decided to see if I could make a tofu-lover out of her. I often attempt to get people to love things they think they hate. I doctored up some Cabbage Slaw with homemade peanut sauce and served it alongside Mustard Crusted Tofu. Check out the recipes below:

Cabbage Slaw with Peanut Sauce

Serves 2 main dishes or 4 sides

(Nutrition Facts based on 4 servings)

Ingredients

For Slaw:

1 cup snow peas

 1 Tbs sesame oil

½ head cabbage, sliced thinly

3 green onions

1 cucumber, sliced into thin half-moons

2 Tbs sesame seeds, toasted

Freshly ground black pepper

For Sauce:

¼ cup creamy natural peanut butter

Juice of 2 limes

1 Tbs reduced sodium soy sauce

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 garlic clove, minced

Preparation

Lightly sauté snow peas in sesame oil.  Toss sautéed snow peas with all ingredients for slaw in large bowl. In blender, blend all ingredients for dressing.  Toss slaw and dressing together, and let sit for 1 hour before serving.

Mustard Crusted Tofu

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 12oz package extra firm tofu

3 Tbs Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

3 Tbs olive oil

Preparation

Cut tofu into 5 strips. Place on paper towels or over colander for ~15 minutes. Coat tofu strips with mustard and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbs olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Place tofu in pan and fry on one side until golden brown. Just before turning, add remaining 1 Tbs olive oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Serve warm. 

Healthy Breakfast Swaps

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Whether it's quick cold cereal before a busy workday, diner breakfast, or homemade brunch, a morning meal can rev up your metabolism after a nightlong fast. But studies show that consuming too large of a breakfast doesn't keep you from consuming more calories later in the day. Check out some breakfast swaps to give you enough energy until lunch but keep it healthy in the morning:

Instead of: Large muffin
Try: Cook up 1/2 cup oatmeal in 1 cup water. Once cooked, add 2 Tbs peanut butter and a sliced banana. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Why: Craving a sweet breakfast? This oatmeal is my go-to in my morning routine. It's sweet without the added sugar of a muffin. The peanut butter and heart-healthy soluble fiber in the oatmeal make it filling--keeps me going until lunch. There's also a whole day's worth of potassium in the banana (great post-workout!)

Instead of: Bacon, egg and cheese on a roll at the deli
Try: Bacon and egg whites with tomato on whole wheat
Why: If you're craving a standard NYC deli breakfast, don't sacrifice the flavor entirely. We all love bacon every once in a while. Instead, treat yourself to the bacon, but cut out the sodium and calories from the cheese and leave out the saturated fat from the egg yolk. Switch to whole grain and add a veggie for added fiber.







Instead of: Eggs Benedict with Hash Browns

Try: Eggs Florentine with side of greens
Why: Vegetables are a great start to the morning! Save some calories by substituting spinach for the ham. Skip the fried potatoes and opt for greens instead--with all the starch from the English muffin, I bet you don't even miss them! Asking for Hollandaise on the side to cut calories even more.

Dancefloor Workout

I've had a couple amazing weekends recently. For the past 2 weekends I've been away at dear friends' weddings. After the ceremony is done, cocktails and dinner have been had, and the couple has had their first dance, my favorite part begins--the dancing. Just 30 minutes of vigorous dance floor breaking it down burns can burn up to 200 calories, or enough to compensate for a shared piece of wedding cake.  

Check out the sweaty dancefloor from a hot summer night
at a beautiful and clearly outrageously fun Charlottesville wedding!

Fish Tag

I recently had a delightful date night at Fish Tag, a new restaurant on the UWS opened by the same owners as the delicious Kefi Greek restaurant. Our favorite dishes were the appetizers and cheese plate that followed dinner.

Grilled Prawn, Feta, & Spicy Chilies Bruschetta

Chilled Sweet Corn Soup with Maine Crab Meat
(Our favorite dish of the night)

Smoked Octopus
Perfectly done--not chewy at all!

One of the other novel concepts about this restaurant is the layout of their menu to support perfect wine pairings--they even offer wine by the half glass, full glass, half bottle and full bottle to help you have the perfect wine with each bite. I had a great glass of rose, which was perfect for a hot NYC summer night.

Here's just part of the wine list as a preview. 

It was a great night out, and comes highly recommended!