I love to cook, but if I am to be totally, brutally honest (and diligent about practicing the yoga principle of satya), I have to admit that I don't usually spend very much time or energy in the kitchen. Sure, I'll go on the occasional cooking binge on a weekend without much on the schedule, but when I'm struck with that kind of non-negotiable belly hunger that absolutely will not wait for fussy preparations, I eat whatever I can make the fastest.
It occurred to me today, when in the throes of exactly this situation, that some people might want the occasional inspirational idea for really quick meals that are actually nutritious and plant-based, and also look pretty. Because really, aren't aesthetics at least 30% of the satisfaction?
Of course, the first order of business is to have plenty of basic ingredients on hand. That means a pretty constant supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, good bread, and in my case at least, brown mustard. Add some extra firm tofu and you can make lunch really fast. Here's what I had today--and I actually have some variation of this for lunch pretty often:
This involved frying two slices of extra firm tofu in a teaspoon of sesame oil, drizzling them as they cooked with a teaspoon of soy sauce, then sprinkling with hot pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and a little bit of Spike seasoning before flipping. This took about 5 minutes. Put the tofu on a toasted bun (toast bun while frying), top with mustard, lettuce, tomato slices, add some blueberries/strawberries and a handful of pretzels on the side, and take it back to your desk where you are still trying to finish up that chapter. Wait, am I projecting again? In any case, this took all of 8 minutes. And it's pretty.
It occurred to me today, when in the throes of exactly this situation, that some people might want the occasional inspirational idea for really quick meals that are actually nutritious and plant-based, and also look pretty. Because really, aren't aesthetics at least 30% of the satisfaction?
Of course, the first order of business is to have plenty of basic ingredients on hand. That means a pretty constant supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, good bread, and in my case at least, brown mustard. Add some extra firm tofu and you can make lunch really fast. Here's what I had today--and I actually have some variation of this for lunch pretty often:
This involved frying two slices of extra firm tofu in a teaspoon of sesame oil, drizzling them as they cooked with a teaspoon of soy sauce, then sprinkling with hot pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and a little bit of Spike seasoning before flipping. This took about 5 minutes. Put the tofu on a toasted bun (toast bun while frying), top with mustard, lettuce, tomato slices, add some blueberries/strawberries and a handful of pretzels on the side, and take it back to your desk where you are still trying to finish up that chapter. Wait, am I projecting again? In any case, this took all of 8 minutes. And it's pretty.
