Simple Saturday Lunch!

I've just begun to teach a new yoga class on Saturday mornings.  I rise early, drink my lemon and water and then practice yoga before I head out the door. It's one of my favorite times during the week because my family is still tucked away in bed and while I practice the sun rises and comes through the windows.  It's a stellar way to start a Saturday.

 

 I take one of the three beasties with me in the car to work.  After teaching my class I  land in Delaveaga Park and the beastie of the day and I do our run/jog for the week.  It's a lovely lovely morning ritual and I am always happy when I come home.  I am also STARVING when I get home.

 

 Here are two of my beasties - Sierra and Harry.  Sierra is my much older Mama dog, adopted 10 years ago and Harry is her big boy son - we had a weak moment and took both dogs from the shelter.  Who could blame us?  Little did we know Harry would turn into a big 80 pound lug.

 

Last Saturday I decided to whip together a simple stir fry with brown rice. 

This is the yummy bowl of goodness!


I got the brown rice in the rice cooker and then gave myself a bit of time at the computer so the rice could get a head start. (HINT --- I always make way more rice than I am going to need at that particular meal so that we have a stock of it in the frig for eating throughout the next few days)  When I checked the rice cooker about 20 minutes later I saw that we were having an epic rice cooker failure!  The darn thing heated up the water and then seemed to stop.  So, the husband went out to the garage with rice cooker in hand. I moved to plan B - a package of "Chinese" noodles, the kind you use in Lo Mein or Ramen.  These are lovely "comfort food" kind of noodles and oh so delicious, but not nearly the nutritional value of a big batch of brown rice!

Here they are waiting for the glorious vegetable and tofu topping!

 

 

The Stir Fry of the day consisted of toasted sesame oil, brown mustard seeds, raw sesame seeds, carrots and yellow peppers from the Farmer's Market, lots and lots of bok choy, and prepared tofu. I also added in about a cup of cooked brown rice that was sitting in the frig from a couple days ago.  We served it on top of the white noodles (I love white noodles but rarely eat them - lots of comfort but little nutritional value :) ) YUM!

Totally blurry photo of the vegetables in the big wok cooking away.

 

Most of the ingredients of this simple stir fry lunch.

Black mustard and sesame seeds, prepared tofu, yellow onion, orange bell pepper, carrots.

SIMPLE STIR FRY DIRECTIONS 

1.  Wash and chop all the vegetables. Put the rice on to cook.
2. Heat the wok first and then add the toasted sesame oil, 1 to 2 tablespoons
3. Once the oil is heating, toss in the chopped onion.  I used a half white onion. 
4. After a minute or so, add about a tablespoon of black mustard seeds.  Then add the chopped bell pepper.  I used about 1/2 orange pepper.
5. Add the carrots.  Let this cook for a bit until carrots are just tender and onions are translucent.  Add the sliced/chopped bok choy and use lots and lots of bok choy, the more the better, the more the merrier, the more the better health!  Greens are the goodness of our planet filled with nutrition and dense with fiber.
6. Add 2 - 3 tablespoons of raw sesame seeds and cook until everything looks super yummy.
7. I add the prepared tofu chopped into small pieces at the last moment so it heats up.

Serve up and if it's a lovely day, eat outside in the sunlight.  Enjoy.