Today’s video is a combination of ‘What I Ate in a Day’ and how I practice self-care. Head over to the thumbnail below for the video and don’t forget to scroll down for the written recipes!

For today’s ‘What I Ate in a Day’ video, I also decided to share the things I do for self-care. Nothing is as important as putting your emotional, mental, and physical needs first, especially during these trying times. I hope these little self-care habits can inspire you and keep yourself busy and productive even while cooped up at home.

And of course, try not to feel guilty if you have a day in your PJs and don’t leave the couch – we all need those days, too! These are just some ideas on what I like to try and practice on a regular basis to make myself feel good.

To see what these self-care habits are, simply head over the video above. But if you want to get to the food part already… (don’t deny it, I know you wanted to already LOL!)

Breakfast

For breakfast, I kept it pretty simple with a Buffalo Tofu Wrap. I had some leftover breaded tofu (I previously shared the recipe for this HERE) in the fridge. I broke it up, pan-fried it with Frank’s Red Hot sauce & some garlic salt, and used it as a filling alongside some chopped kale, bell peppers and vegan mayo. I didn’t include a written recipe because I was just kind of winging it with this one, but it turned out to be a delicious and hearty meal! Check out the video to see what I did.

Lunch

For lunch, I decided to make a soy curl stir fry (yes, I just recently discovered Soy Curls and they are amazing!). They are an amazing substitute for meat, and I highly recommend trying it! They come dehydrated in packs (see photo above) and all you have to do is to add some water to it to re-hydrate it. It turned out really delicious and I did not disappoint myself when I decided to stir-fry this!

I decided to call the stir fry, “Better Than Takeout Stir Fry” because it really tasted like Asian take out but obviously healthier and BETTER! It’s relatively easy to make and you can make it in bulk as a meal prep. I also included a recipe using tofu, instead of Soy Curls, in case you can’t find them.

Scroll down to get the recipe for the ‘Better Than Takeout Stir Fry!’

Afternoon Treat

After my regular afternoon walk, I found myself craving for some peanut butter cookies and I had to make a quick and easy batch. These are soft and chewy, which is why I recommend letting it cool for at least 10 minutes after baking before diving right in. 

Scroll down for the recipe for the Super Gooey Peanut Butter Cookies!

Dinner

For dinner, I decided to repurpose another leftover dish! I do this quite often with meals I made before – try to create something new out of them.

This time, I had a container of Red Lentil Red Curry that I had made the evening before (Scroll down for the recipe!) and I decided to add some rice noodles to this to make it into a noodle dish. All I had to do was just add a few other things and it was super delish! I had it with a tiny side of bok choy salad to make it a more nutritious meal.

Now here are the recipes mentioned… Hope you enjoy!

Better Than Takeout Stir Fry Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4oz soy curls or 1 block extra firm tofu (see different instructions for tofu)
• 2 cups water 
• 1 tbsp corn starch or potato starch + ½ cup water
• Green onions and sesame seeds for garnish 

For the sauce:

• 3 tbsp rice vinegar or ACV
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1-2 tbsp sugar or other sweetener
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp tsp ground ginger or grated fresh ginger

Vegetables:

• ½ onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thinly 
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• ½ bell pepper, chopped
• ½ broccoli, chopped

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the sauce.
2. In a larger mixing bowl, add in the soybean curls and water. Add in the sauce, mix well, and let it marinate for at least 15-20 minutes. 
3. Start chopping up the vegetables. Set aside.
4. Heat oil in a large wok. Add in the onions and the marinated soybean curls (don’t throw out the marinade!).
5. Throw in the carrots and allow it to cook for a few minutes before adding in the remaining vegetables. Mix well. 
6. Add in the marinade. Mix and let the mixture come to a boil. 
7. In a small mixing bowl, combine cornstarch with water to create a thickening agent.
8. Turn the heat down to low and throw in the thickening agent. Mix well until the sauce thickens. 
9. Add in green onions and sprinkle with sesame seeds. 
10. Serve with rice. Enjoy!

For the tofu version:

1. Cut tofu into bite-sized pieces.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large wok or pan on medium-high heat and cook tofu until golden brown on each side.
3. Meantime, mix together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Set the tofu aside once golden, then add onion and carrots into the pan with a splash of water. Cook for a few minutes, then add the rest of the vegetables. 
5. When vegetables are mostly cooked, add the tofu back into the pan and add the sauce. Mix until well-combined. Turn the heat to a low simmer.
6. In a small bowl, add cornstarch & water and mix well. Add into the pan and mix well. The sauce should thicken up slightly.
7. Serve with rice. Enjoy!

Super Gooey Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• ½ cup peanut butter
• 3 tbsp apple sauce
• ¼ cup brown/coconut sugar
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp flour (or ¼ cup oat flour + 2 tbsp white flour)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, add in peanut butter, apple sauce, coconut sugar or brown sugar. Mix well. 
3. Add in oat flour, regular flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Mix until well-combined. 
4. Scoop the cookie batter onto the baking tray. Flatten the cookie balls using a fork (see how I did it in the video). 
5. Sprinkle some icing sugar onto the cookies (optional, I just did this for decoration LOL). 
6. Bake for 10 minutes and let it cool for at least another 10 minutes.
7. Enjoy!

Red Lentil Red Curry

Ingredients (around 4 servings):

• 2 tsp oil
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 potato, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 tbsp red curry paste (without fish sauce)
• ¾ cup red split lentils
• 2 cups coconut milk (I used the carton kind), or other non-dairy milk
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• ½ cup water (or more if needed)

Instructions:

1. Heat oil on medium-high heat in a large wok or pot then add onions. Cook for a couple of minutes. 
2. Add potatoes and carrots and saute for a few minutes, adding in a splash of water if it sticks.
3. Add in red curry paste and mix well.
4. Throw in lentils, coconut milk, garlic salt, and water and mix until well-combined. 
5. Bring to a boil on high-heat, then reduce to medium-low and cook covered, for about 15-20 minutes or until everything is cooked. Stir once in a while and add more water if needed. 
6. Serve with rice or noodles!