She huffed and she puffed....

This evening I returned to the treadmill at the YMCA. Blerg. I arrived at 6:30pm to a PACKED cardio room, stretched for 20 minutes waiting (not so patiently) for someone to get off one of the machines, and almost gave up. After circling like a vulture, I finally saw a lady hit the stop button. YES! But....she just stands on the treadmill for 9 more minutes until the end of her t.v. show. At 6:59pm, I finally had a machine. Oh the joys of joining a gym. 

I have not run in 2 weeks. 2 weeks ago today, I woke with the flu of death. 4 days after the flu, I got a nasty cold. Needless to say, I did not expect to last very long today in the physical activity department. I had one goal: 2 miles. I did complete my goal. It was not pretty...and I walked from 1.18 to 1.75 but I kept my walking pace pretty high. Left the Y at 7:26pm.

In 3 minutes, I was home for the fun part: COOKING. I got all my ingredients together on the counter, said hello to my shiny new cookbook, and turned the page to tonight's recipe.

Quick Lo-Mein
Recipe from Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson 

16 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Salt
2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 medium carrot, shredded
4 to 5 scallions (green onions), chopped
4 cups shredded green cabbage (or  napa cabbage or bok choy)
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
4 cups cooked spaghetti or linguine (or reconstituted ramen)

1. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch dice. Toss with the cornstarch and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook until golden brown all over, about 7 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
3. Add the remaining oil to the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, carrot, scallions, cabbage, and mushrooms. Season with salt and stir-fry to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, and sesame oil. Add the reserved tofu and the cooked noodles. Toss to combine, adding a bit of water (or extra sauce) if the mixture is too dry. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve hot.

 I wish, wish, wish you could smell this. Once I started sauteing the vegetables....amazing. Sadly, I ran a tad short on the soy sauce and cheated by using a ramen type noodle instead of a thicker noodle. I would suggest you go with a linguine noodle. It was super simple and made a HUGE portion. I had about a cup serving, Matt had close to 2 cups, and I had the same amount of servings left over for our lunches. :) 2 meals in one, I am one happy meal maker.

My mouth is already watering for tomorrow's dinner......