Easy Weekend Meals

Sometimes I like to just relax on the weekend and not cook too much. This weekend was one of those so I kept it simple. The sun and warm weather was a treat and I wanted to spend my time outside hiking in the forest with Grommit and sitting on the steps drinking tea. Relaxation is good for the body and the mind. Here is Grommit in her "hole" that she dug under a cedar bush and likes to hang out in. She knows how to relax.

I whipped up this really quick meal and tasty too. Honestly there was not a whole lot in the fridge and I didn't feel like driving to the grocery store so I used what I had and was surprised with the results. I had some rice pasta, which is one of my favourite quick meal staples. I love rice pasta because you can boil a pot of water, pour in the pasta and stir it for a minute, then turn it off, put the lid on and let it sit for 18 minutes. I like this method because I tend to boil over a pot of pasta when I am distracted with something else and that makes a mess. Also it saves energy, which makes me feel good, and best of all I can leave the room and go do something else like sit in the sun. Usually though, this 18 minutes is just enough time to put together the remaining ingredients for dinner. I chopped up about 1/4 cup of onion and a clove of garlic and then sauteed them on medium/low heat in a bit of olive oil. After about five minutes I added some tofu. I only use traditionally made tofu because it is aged properly and therefore the nutrients are accessible and can be absorbed by the body. I will be dedicating an article to soy in the near future. I like Salt Spring Island tofu, Nelson tofu or Green Cuisine from Victoria. Look for a traditionally made tofu in your area, it will be made in small batches and can be found in health food stores. I diced up some naturally smoked tofu from Salt Spring Island and added it to the onions. After 5 more minutes of cooking on low heat I tossed in some chopped frozen spinach. Having this in the freezer ensures that I always have green veggies.

Next I peeled a jicama root and grated it. I added a bit of brown rice vinegar, sesame oil and agave nectar. I tossed this up, put it on the plates and sprinkled on some pumpkin seeds. Very simple, very tasty. Jicama is a root vegetable. It tastes like apple and potato and is nice and crunchy and fresh. You can eat it raw or cooked.

When the 18 minutes was up I drained the pasta, mixed in the veggies and tofu, drizzled on a bit of flax oil and served. Quick, tasty and full of goodness. I love these lazy day dinners for that.