Welcome to my new website! Do you like? (I really hope you like).  I like it a lot though there’s a lot of computer mumbo jumbo that I have to figure out but honestly, it’s very intimidating and though I’m loathe to admit it, I don’t really know what I’m doing.  Designing a new site was really exciting and really important for expanding Jewhungry and getting it out there in the world but it’s come with a great responsibility (read: Make sure I learn how to really work this site so I don’t throw all my hard-earned cash and my designer’s hard work down the toilet).

The relaunching of this website or rather, the decision to move forward in hiring a real designer and committing to making this thing real was not an easy one.  After launching it last Thursday, I felt very really excited for like 5 minutes and then I started feeling dread.  I couldn’t believe it.  I had waited for what felt like forever to see the final product and then boom! I felt terrible. I’m generally a happy person but sometimes, I let the weight of things get to me.  So I sat with this weird ‘doom and gloom’ feeling for a day or two until I realized why I wasn’t feeling all ‘happy-go-lucky’ about this.  It’s the first step to change.

Change is hard.  It’s really, really hard.  People stick in jobs they don’t like because they’d rather deal with the pain of day-to-day unhappiness rather than deal with the short-term ugliness of change.  Same thing for folks who stay in relationships or friendships with people who don’t make them happy.  Change is that intimidating. People go their whole lives avoiding the feelings that change can bring up thereby avoiding taking-risks or finding true happiness.  And yes, as a middle class 30-something white lady, I’m one of those people who is generally always in search of ‘happiness’. I don’t think I deserve ‘happiness’ but I do work hard to achieve it, whatever ‘it’ is.  And since my pursuit of happiness is always on (Amazing husband? Check. Sweet baby? Check. Fulfilling job and creative outlet? Hmmm . . . still searching.), I’m willing to risk the uneasiness of change.  Lately, however, I’ve been having a boat-load of second thoughts regarding our upcoming move to LA and more specifically, spending a year without my husband. And see, what I realized was that this new Jewhungry represented the start of all that change.  It’s one step toward that LA move becoming real, which is scaring the heck outta me.  On the top of the list of “things to do before I move to LA” was the design and launch of this new site.  So, that’s done.  What’s next? Get the kid signed up for school, find an apartment, hire a mover, etc., etc.  Though the list is long, the fact that I’ve crossed something off of it is kind of freaking me out.  Usually, I have a little party every time I can cross something off a ‘to do’ list but this time, not so much.

But, regardless of how I feel about it, the days and weeks will go by and then June will be here and everything will get real.  So, I must continue to keep my anxiety in check and not forget to attempt to live in the moment and enjoy things like this beautiful new blog I worked really hard for. Oh, and tofu hearts because seriously? How cute are tofu hearts?

Quinoa Bowl + Marinated Tofu

Ingredients:

1 cup of uncooked quinoa
1/2 cup cooked black beans
1/4 cup diced green onion
1/2 cup roasted broccoli
1 red pepper, sliced and roasted or sautéed (cook’s choice)
Cubed feta cheese
Kosher salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Cumin

Tofu:

1 package of tofu
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
Sriracha
1 tbsp ground ginger (fresh is always best, so use it if you got it)

How:

For tofu – can do ahead and refrigerate for 3 -4 days:

Wrap tofu in a decent amount of paper towel and place on a plate.  Place something heavy (i.e. a book) on top of the wrapped tofu and let it sit for at least 15 minutes so as to drain as much moisture out as possible.

While the tofu is draining, combine all the marinade ingredients in a Tupperware bowl that is able to be closed and stir to combine.  Set aside.

Once it is drained of the majority of the excess moisture, cut tofu in half (meaning, reduce the thickness by half – you want to maintain the exact same square shape for both ends, you just want to make the square thinner).  Press your heart-shaped cookie cutter into the center of each tofu square.  Gently remove the outer ring of tofu from around the cookie cutter leaving the tofu in the middle.  Finally, press the heart tofu out from the inside of the cookie cutter.  Place tofu hearts into the bowl/Tupperware of the marinade and close tightly.  Gently shake the closed Tupperware so that the marinade is evenly dispersed onto the tofu hearts.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (if you can swing it, let sit longer making sure to shake the bowl occasionally).

After the tofu has marinated for at least 30 minutes, pre-heat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place tofu on the parchment paper and place in a pre-heated oven for roughly 15 – 20 minutes, making sure to flip halfway through baking.

Meanwhile . . . in quinoa land . . .

Cook quinoa according to package (usually 1 cup of quinoa is added to 2 cups of water or broth and cooked.  It is then brought to a boil and turned down to a simmer.  It is then left to simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes).  While quinoa is cooking, heat your black beans in a small pot on medium high heat.  Add a dash of cumin, kosher salt, garlic powder and pepper and let it come to a boil.  Again, once it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and let it sit for 5 minutes or so.

For roasting of broccoli + red peppers:

Preheat oven to 400.  Toss sliced red peppers and broccoli in olive oil or coconut oil.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.  Roast for 25 – 30 minutes, making sure to toss occasionally so that there is even roasting.

Once all components are finished cooking, place quinoa in a bowl and top with black beans, broccoli, peppers, green onions and cubed feta cheese.  Place heart on top for classy touch.  Enjoy!