Fresh & Easy Asian Pasta Salad + A Little Soul-Bearing

I'm a perfectionist.  There.  I said it.  That took me about 10 minutes to write because I had to make sure I said it perfectly...

Ahhhh...

Okay, now that that's off my chest, I wanted to let you know that I'm making changes.  That's right.  I'm no longer going to worry about writing the "perfect blog" or posting the "perfect recipe" or taking the "perfect picture".  Okay, maybe I will a little, but my goal is to just do something I enjoy and hope that you all like it.  Otherwise I'll be missing for weeks (Months?  Yes, months....) on end again, and that would be lame, right?

I was reading a book today about why people procrastinate, and it said something really interesting about Action and Motivation.  Which comes first?  "If you said motivation, you made an excellent , logical choice.  Unfortunately, you're wrong."  (Oops!)  "Motivation does not come first, action does!  If you wait until you're in the mood to do something, you may wait forever!"

Amen.  Hence, my absence as of late.

So, thanks for being patient.  I'm back to cooking, inventing and experimenting again, and it feels good.

And you thought you just came here to read a recipe for Asian Pasta Salad!  Ha!  Poor things.. Thanks for letting me spill my guts.  I feel better now :)

Fresh & Easy Asian Pasta Salad
Serves 6

1-16 oz. package brown rice noodles (penne or spiral)
1-15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
1-15 oz. can kidney beans, drained
2 cucumbers, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3 green onions, both green and white part, sliced thinly
1/4 cup red onion, minced
5 green olives (preferably marinated in hot oil), minced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Cook pasta according to directions on package.  Rinse and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine both beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, both onions, olives and cilantro.  Add pasta and toss with dressing (recipe below).  Serve over lettuce for extra nutrition.

*Note:  Brown rice noodles, strangely enough, tend to turn al dente when refrigerated (I didn't mind it, it just surprised me), so you may want to either eat it all in one sitting or try a different type of noodle if you want to eat it as leftovers.  The flavors marinate well though, and everything keeps its crunch.

Asian Dressing
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbs dried basil
2 Tbs agave nectar
2 Tbs real maple syrup
2 Tbs soy sauce

Combine all ingredients and whisk until everything is incorporated and consistency thickens a bit.

This dressing is so mild, making it very versatile.  You can use it on plain lettuce salads, 3 bean salads, or even as a sauce over cooked veggies.  I almost always prefer to use fresh herbs when cooking, but in this case I usually have all these ingredients on hand so it makes for a very quick dinner.  Feel free to substitute if you'd like.

This salad is perfect for summertime.   Hope you like it!

Back to Macro and Feeling Good

I admit it.  I've been a bit off track with my eating lately.  Yes, there has been a lot of eating out...there have been some sweets...even...coffee (gasp).  I know, I know!  So for the last three days I've been focusing mostly on macro again, and it feels so good!  My cheeks are rosy, my energy is up, and I'm just feeling more balanced overall.  Here's a sample menu, to give you an idea of how I kept my meals mostly macro:

Monday:

• Breakfast - Oatmeal with a small teaspoon of maple syrup
• Lunch - half a sweet potato (I had a late breakfast that day...I made up for it with dinner though)
• Dinner - brown rice, arame with carrots & onions, sauteed shredded cabbage drizzled with flax seed oil, ume vinegar and gomashio, and seasoned mixed beets (recipe below)

Tuesday:

• Breakfast - brown rice with leftover the arame/carrot/onion thingy
• Lunch - polenta cake and half a sweet potato
• Snack - brown rice cake (the crispy kind) with peanut butter and brown rice syrup
• Dinner - rice pilaf with Caramelized Onions and adzuki beans with kabocha squash

Wednesday:

• Breakfast - miso soup with bok choy and dark greens, leftover rice pilaf (added some sauteed cabbage to freshen it up), natto and toasted nori
• Lunch - stir-fried soba noodles with veggies

• Dinner - I'm planning veggie soup with a side of whole grain bread

I was so tempted to make coffee this morning, but instead I brewed some kukicha tea and tried to forget about the taste of rich, creamy espresso...(single teardrop)...

After finishing dinner on Monday, The Boy told me he was so glad to have me as his wife because I cook healthy meals that he likes, and needs, to eat.  Awwwww :)

Seasoned Mixed Beets:

Serves 4 as a small side dish

12 small golden and chioggia beets, peeled and quartered

1 Tbs brown rice syrup

4 Tbs apple cider vinegar

In a large pot with a lid, steam beets in 1/2 cup of water until tender, about 20 minutes.  Strain and toss gently with brown rice syrup and vinegar.  Serve warm or chilled.