One of my favorite things to do is take traditional American food and morph it into healthy, vegetarian fare.  One of the hardest lessons for me to learn was how to flavor tofu recipes. Being a solo vegetarian in a house of carnivores, I didn't have anyone to teach me how to season it properly.  After a lot of trial and error, I eventually learned to dress it simply and enjoy the chameleon-like characteristics of this healthy vegan staple.

Pictured to the right is my version of "scrambled eggs" that is made out of crumbled tofu.  The turmeric adds the familiar yellow texture, while the herbs add just a hint of flavor.  I make my own tofu, as it tends to be much creamier than what is found in the refrigerator section of the store. Any type of regular tofu (not silken) should work, as it isn't important for the mock "eggs" to hold any sort of shape.

Mock Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients:
tofu
fines herbes
turmeric
paprika
salt
olive oil

Lightly coat a non-stick pan with olive oil.  Crumble up a small block of tofu.  Generously sprinkle with fines herbes. Then, lightly sprinkle with turmeric, paprika and salt to taste.  Gentle stir and heat until warm.  Do not overcook, as you want the light texture of eggs.  Serve hot.

My other favorite thing to do when cooking tofu for breakfast is simply to lightly brown a few sesame seeds in a non-stick pan in olive oil with a little fresh garlic and/or ginger.  Add in the tofu and cook until the tofu is lightly brown.  At the very end, sprinkle in enough soy sauce to lightly coat the mixture while it sizzles in the pan.  The soy sauce will carmelize and add wonderful flavor to the tofu.  Just be sure not to use too much or the result will be very salty.  You might even opt to try a low salt soy sauce.

Questions?  Write editor@greensagepage.com.

Copyright Cheryl Hughey 2009

-Sunday, February 21, 2010, 2pm, Monroe County Public Library Auditorium, Free -


BLOOMINGTON, IN –– Bloomington’s Elementary Schools host a wealth of poets who love and believe in Nature. More than 200 children responded to a call-out for submissions of poems about the environment. Their themes range from the seasons to animals to recycling and enjoying nature’s beauty.  The expressions are haunting, funny, and call us to action. On Sunday, February 21 starting at 2pm in the Monroe County Library Auditorium, some of the poems will come alive through readings ... << MORE >>

February is American Heart Month. Know the signs of a stroke or heart attack, while also learning the things you can do to keep yourself healthy:  www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3053 ... << MORE >>

Traveling can sometimes be a perilous journey for the health conscious consumer.  In the Western world, where fast food lurks around every corner, the temptations abound.  For those traveling out of the country, access to your favorite designer health foods may be tough.  However, with a little pre-planning and savvy shopping, healthy snacking can be found right in your briefcase.

The first step in your traveling food journey is to review your itinerary.  How long will you be gone and will you have access to the foods you commonly find helpful in your diet? If you are not in control of your own schedule and there is a lot of unpredictability, then you may want to pack a little extra protein to help stretch whatever meals are provided for the day.  The last thing you want is to be caught in a moment where you can't perform at your best because you're hungry, tired and cranky. Taking "healthy" comfort food with you can provide the boost you need to get through a long day.

While dividing your own homemade foods into small Ziploc snack bags will save you money, considering purchasing pre-packed food when going through customs.  This will alleviate any questions that the food contained in your briefcase or suitcase is exactly how it is labeled.

A few transportable winners I've tested are:

• Emerald Natural Walnuts & Almonds 100 Calorie Pack - Small, light and good for you.
• Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal packets - Fiber and protein that can be made with your hotel room coffee pot.
• Odwalla Super Protein and Cliff Bars - I pack at least one for each day I will be gone and you can avoid the challenges of melting chocolate and icing found in other brands. Also light enough when traveling on two wheels.
• Peaceful Planet, The Supreme Meal (1.2 oz) - Contains quinoa, millet amaranth and 17 grams of protein.
• Dr. McDougall's soups - Each one comes in its own cup.  Add hot water and enjoy.  Bulky but worth it.
• Justin's Organic Honey Peanut Butter Squeeze Pack (1.15oz) - These small packets have passed through an airport security scan more than once.  Enjoy them with any healthy brand of mini packaged crackers. I suggest putting the peanut butter packets in your liquids bag to facilitate security clearance.  Don't leave them floating around your briefcase.
• Starbucks Via Ready Brew - Nirvana in the desert.

Have questions about traveling on a special diet?  Send them to editor@greensagepage.com.  Your question and the answer may be featured on our website.

Copyright Cheryl Hughey 2009

Copyright Cheryl Hughey 2009

Entertaining your vegetarian friends for the holidays need not be a perilous experience.  With a few handy tips and cheats, you can be will on your way to presenting a celebratory affair that all will remember.

If you are unsure what type of vegetarian food your guest prefers, we encourage you to ask them. Given the opportunity, they may even offer to bring a dish, which will take some of the stress off your meal preparation.  When in doubt...keep it simple.  Please find hints below for each various course:

Drinks:
Just like your other friends, whether or not a vegetarian drinks alcohol depends on their spiritual and personal preferences.  Be prepared to offer alternatives like hot tea and coffee.

Appetizers:
Light snacking need not be a complicated affair for non-meat eaters.  Fresh vegetables are always a welcomed delight.  When choosing a dip, stick to something light and natural that doesn't contain milk or eggs.  (Vegans shy away from consuming anything animal-based.)  A simple raspberry vinaigrette creates a colorful presentation and is deliciously healthy.

If you need something a bit more substantial, silken tofu can be mashed and mixed into a tasty eggless salad.  Simply add in mustard, pickle relish, onion, salt, pepper and an eggless salad dressing like Nasoya for a delicious sandwich spread or thick dip for crackers.

Soups:
Choose a soup with a vegetable stock.  Serving soup with made with meat bullion cubes can be considered a social faux pas.

Salad:
A liberal serving of salad is always a nice icebreaker.  Show off your culinary prowess by serving your salad with a few choice legumes like kidney beans or garbanzos.

Dinner:
While there are many ready-made products on the market, most of what you will find in a conventional store like MorningStar contain eggs.  Vegans and lacto-vegetarians do not eat eggs.  You can avoid an uncomfortable situation by simply offering a marinara  pasta dish with a few vegetables on the side.  Simple to prepare, marinara is a wonderful alternative that other guests may enjoy as well.  Note:  Some pastas like ravioli contain eggs and/or milk products.  Be sure to read your labels.

Dessert:
Most cakes, cookies and such contain egg products.  Fresh fruit is always a delightful and welcomed surprise for your vegetarian friend.  Fruit may sound simple but can actually be a compliment to your vegetarian guest when served with thoughtful insight.  The holidays can be a rough time for vegetarians, as dietary trends tend to be heavy on the creme and meat products during the holidays.  By ending your course with fruit, you've served a wonderful gift of compassion to your guest.

Looking for the perfect gift for your child, nephew, niece, grandchild, or godchild all year round?  The website My Fairy Baby < www.myfairybaby.com > is ideal to suffice your need. The site provides darling prints of fairy babies along with fairy-themed calendars, birth announcement cards, photo albums, gift cards, and poetic dreamscapes for nurseries. The prints are made by a society of fairy artists that consists of Jacqueline Collen-Tarrolly, Jessica Galbreth, Carmen Keys, Amy Brown, Wendy Kathleen McElfish, Lisa Maissoneuve, Selina French, and ...

<< MORE >>

Do you want the smell of freshly baked cupcakes but hate all the work it takes to make them from scratch? We have a simple recipe that is kid-approved and quick to make.  In no time at all, you'll be filling your home with the tempting smells of pumpkin and spice.

Cheater's Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 box of white cake mix
1 16-ounce can of pumpkin
1 cup of water
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
... << MORE >>

Butternut squash is probably one of the most underused fruits in home kitchens, though it is an excellent source of potassium, vitamins A, C and B6 as well as dietary fiber.   Most
people believe butternut squash is a vegetable, but as a member of the gourd family which includes pumpkins, melons and cucumbers, butternut squash is technically a fruit because it contains
seeds.  It can be roasted, grilled, sautéed, pureed, or mashed and used to add flavor and texture to soups, quiches, pie fillings, casseroles, breads, and muffins. 

The peak season to buy butternut squash is in ...

<< MORE >>