Crunchy Veggie Medley with Fresh Lime

This fresh pop of flavor is great as a snack, on tacos, 

as part of a salad, or anything you can think of! 

Crunchy Veggie Medley with Fresh Lime:

1 organic cucumber

1 organic red yellow pepper

1 organic green pepper

2-3 organic celery stalks

1 organic lime

Optional: fresh spearmint and a variety of other crunchy veggies like red peppers!

Dice the veggies to the size of your liking (I think the smaller, the better), combine them in a bowl, and top with the juice from the lime to taste. That's it!

Healthy Life Tip: prep this at the beginning of your week and separate into several different grab-and-go servings for an easy snack! 

Pairs excellently with these BBQ Seitan Skewers 

and may also want to check out this Pepper & Lime Salsa:

         

Baked Balsamic Tofu Cubes

Balsamic Tofu. I really can't say enough about it. Grilled, baked, fried, sautéed, whatever. A staple in my kitchen for sure. It can go on salads, as a side, on a pasta salad, in a wrap, as a snack, whatever you want. So easy to make and so many things to have it with! 

Try them, you'll be instant best friends. 

Baked Balsamic Tofu Cubes:

Organic extra firm tofu - as much as you want!

Your favorite organic balsamic dressing 

Organic Italian seasoning (optional)

First, drain the water out of the tofu... yes you have to do this. Either wrap the block of tofu in paper towels and place between to dishes, trays, whatever you want and put something on top to gently squeeze out the water (sometime I use 3 soup bowls) and let stand for about 20-30 minutes, or use a tofu press. 

Once the tofu is drained, cut into 1 inch cubes, or whatever size you're into at the moment, and toss into a baggie, cover with marinade, and marinate for 30 min or longer. I like to get all of this done the night before and let it sit overnight, but it turns out great either way!

Once you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 and place tofu on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure there is space in-between each piece of tofu. I also like to sprinkle a little extra Italian seasoning onto the pieces at this point! Bake for about 10-15 minutes or longer, until they are golden brown along the edges, watching to make sure they don't burn. Once you see the golden edges, remove and enjoy warm or cold!

I LOVE to use these to top one of my favorite pasta salads recipes:

Easy Balsamic Tofu Steaks

Balsamic Tofu Steaks save my life on a regular basis. They are so easy to make, so versatile, and they can be made in bulk and saved in the fridge for later use. Whenever I haven't planned for lunch or dinner, I always fall back on these because they are so quick to make, easy to take with you, great served hot or cold, and they pair well with all of my favorite things!

As pictured above, I love throwing them into a sandwich with lettuce and tomato (and some avocado too!). They also go well on top of a salad, in a wrap, over a pasta salad (this one especially), Mediterranean quinoa salad, as a snack by themselves, and anything you can think of!

Healthy Life Tip: Make a dish with these tofu steaks at the beginning of the week and make extra steaks to have with a variety of different lunch options throughout the week. This is a huge time saver, and an easy way to ensure your lunches are homemade and healthy!

Balsamic Tofu Steaks:

Package or more of organic firm or extra firm tofu

Your favorite balsamic dressing (I love OrganicVille's Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinaigrette)

Organic Italian seasoning

Organic red pepper flakes (optional) 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

If you have time, or know you are going to make this in advance, have the steaks marinating in your balsamic vinaigrette ahead of time. If you don't, I find following the steps below helps to achieve the most flavor is the shortest amount of time. 

Slice the tofu into 6 steaks and press out the water pretty well. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place slightly less then a tablespoon of vinaigrette where each tofu steak will go. Place steaks onto the the sheet making sure the vinaigrette is spread out beneath each. 

Next, using a fork, poke a generous amount of holes into the top of the steaks. Cover each steak with your balsamic vinaigrette, making sure it covers the sides as well. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on top of each as desired and for an extra kick, also sprinkle on some red pepper flakes. 

Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until edges become golden and crispy, then enjoy! 

Time Saver Tip: Prepare the steaks first and as they are cooking prepare your other ingredients. 

6 Classic Recipes for a Healthier Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving doesn't have to be an unhealthy mess. Here are 6 ways to make some classic dishes taste amazing without throwing your body under the bus.


Tahini-Garlic Mashed Potatoes: These 0 cholesterol, low sodium mashed potatoes are creamy and tasty without any butter or nonsense!





Homemade Cranberry Sauce: This amazing, guilt-free, and fresh tasting cranberry sauce leaves the preservatives, sugars, cholesterol, and sodium behind! A must! 0mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol, and only 70 calories for a 1/4 cup serving!




Thanksgiving Gravy: A thanksgiving must-have that won't clog your arteries while you enjoy it! With only 35mg sodium and 10mg cholesterol in a 1/4 cup serving, you can enjoy this gravy without worry.





Bacon, Cranberry, and Mushroom Stuffing: A twist on the traditional stuffing drastically reduces sodium to only 180mg per serving, contains 8g protein, and only 3.5g fat! A must-try that is packed with flavor!





Warm Winter Greens Salad: Start your meal off with this warm and flavor-filled salad. With 0mg cholesterol it will help digestion and prepare your palate for the flavors to come! Great ad-on tips in the recipe too!





Winter Squash Crostini: This fun and healthy spread is great to serve as guests arrive

For More:

Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Grilled Balsamic Tofu!

Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Grilled Balsamic Tofu:

Makes 3 Servings:

1 1/2 servings of your favorite whole wheat organic pasta (365 organic rigatoni pictured above)
4 servings organic extra firm tofu
1/2 cup 365 Organic Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
20 grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 organic cucumber, diced
1/2 organic yellow pepper, chopped
1/2 organic orange pepper, chopped


Cook pasta according to directions. While water is heating, drain and cube tofu and place into a bowl with dressing to marinate, then set aside. Begin to prepare vegetables until water begins to boil.

Once you place the pasta in the water, begin to heat grill pan on medium and place the tofu cubes onto the center of the pan using a pair of tongs. Once pan is heated, tofu should begin to sizzle. Keep the tofu on the same side moving occasionally and adding more dressing to prevent sticking, but do not flip. While tofu cooks, continue to prepare vegetables and place into a separate large bowl. Add 1-2 tablespoons of dressing from tofu bowl and toss into vegetables. You won't need more than this.

Once one side of the tofu is light-medium brown (2-5min), use the tongs to flip it to the opposite side. Add some of the extra dressing to the tofu and onto pan so that it sizzles around the tofu. Let sit for another 2-3 minutes allowing this side to brown also.

Once pasta is complete, drain and add to large bowl with vegetables and toss, allowing the dressing to spread over everything. Separate onto plates and once tofu is complete, add tofu and enjoy!

This dish works great cold also, just rinse and place pasta in refrigerator for several minutes and allow tofu to cool before serving.

Healthy Life Tip: Cook extra servings and save for an easy lunch or dinner later in the week!

Rather just stick the tofu in the oven and get something else done? Check this out:

Minted Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Feta Cheese

Minted Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Feta Cheese:

Orzo Salad:

8oz organic whole wheat orzo (Delallo)
28oz rinsed, drained organic chickpeas
2oz organic crumbled vegan feta cheese
3/4 cup chopped organic white onion (could also use red)
6 tablespoons chopped organic fresh basil
3/4 cup chopped organic mint leaves
1/2 cup chopped organic celery

Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup organic red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground organic black pepper
1 organic garlic clove finely minced
1/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons organic agave

Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in blender and pulse until combined, then set aside.

Begin cooking orzo as directed on package. Thoroughly rinse and drain chickpeas and put into large bowl. Chop onion, basil, mint leaves, and celery and add to bowl. Once pasta is cooked completely, rinse gently to cool and remove excess starch (note: only rinse pasta when including in cold dishes such as this one). Once cool, add orzo to bowl with other ingredients and fold ingredients together gently. Next, slowly drizzle vinaigrette over salad while continuing to fold over ingredients until coated. Once coated, top with feta and set any extra vinaigrette aside.

Makes 6 servings. Works as a great side dish to a cleanly prepared protein. Also packs well for an easy to-go lunch.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Grilled Balsamic Tofu:

Makes 3 Servings:

1 1/2 servings of your favorite whole wheat organic pasta (365 organic rigatoni pictured above)
4 servings organic extra firm tofu
1/2 cup 365 Organic Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
20 grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 organic cucumber, diced
1/2 organic yellow pepper, chopped
1/2 organic orange pepper, chopped

Cook pasta according to directions. While water is heating, drain and cube tofu and place into a bowl with dressing to marinate, then set aside. Begin to prepare vegetables until water begins to boil.

Once you place the pasta in the water, begin to heat grill pan on medium and place the tofu cubes onto the center of the pan using a pair of tongs. Once pan is heated, tofu should begin to sizzle. Keep the tofu on the same side moving occasionally and adding more dressing to prevent sticking, but do not flip. While tofu cooks, continue to prepare vegetables and place into a separate large bowl. Add 1-2 tablespoons of dressing from tofu bowl and toss into vegetables. You won't need more than this.

Once one side of the tofu is light-medium brown (2-5min), use the tongs to flip it to the opposite side. Add some of the extra dressing to the tofu and onto pan so that it sizzles around the tofu. Let sit for another 2-3 minutes allowing this side to brown also.

Once pasta is complete, drain and add to large bowl with vegetables and toss, allowing the dressing to spread over everything. Separate onto plates and once tofu is complete, add tofu and enjoy!

This dish works great cold also, just rinse and place pasta in refrigerator for several minutes and allow tofu to cool before serving.

Healthy Life Tip: Cook extra servings and save for an easy lunch or dinner later in the week.