I apologize for being a lazy blogger last night; I was just SO incredibly exhausted and couldn’t even begin to think in logical sentences to formulate my thoughts for a blog entry. I’m on my way to Whole Foods (!!), so I’m just going to give you a quick run through of yesterday’s eats and musings.
Yesterday’s breakfast was a delicious and creamy bowl of blueberry banana creme oatbran! In the mix was 1/2 cup oatbran, 1 cup hemp milk, 1 mashed banana, maple syrup, a gluttonous amount of cinnamon, a handful of fresh blueberries, and a big scoop of greek yogurt stirred in at the end. I topped the bowl with a sliced strawberry and the last scoop of cinnamon raisin swirl peanut butter. Just as i had hoped, this combo was both nutrient and flavor packed!

After breakfast, I headed to school for my “it’s too early to be awake” latinos class, and then headed to Central Park during my break. I took an ungodly amount of photos (aka over 200), so it’s going to quite hard to pick which to post. I’ll just show you some personal favorites!
















Being that the blogs have been swarmed with tons of amazing salad creations as of late, I decided that a hearty tofu chef salad would be the perfect lunch to throw together once I got home! On a huge bed of arugula, I tossed in whatever I had on hand, basically- leftover lemon baked tofu, shredded carrot, raisins, sprouts, 1/2 red pepper, soy feta, and a generous dollop of guacamole. After taking the picture, I drizzled some blueberry vinaigrette on the salad, and dug in! It was a five star salad, for sure. Full of volume, and oh so filling.

The star of this lunch, however, was my baked sweet potato that I topped with a healthy spoonful of ALMOND BUTTER!! Yes, you heard right! This unlikely collaboration was absolutely spectacular; the nutty, rich almond flavor complemented the creamy sweet potato like no other topping can. It certainly wont be the last time you see this pairing! Try it for yourself!

My afternoon snack was yet another yogurt mess- 3/4 cup fage stirred with a packet of truvia, 1 cup of honey kix, a sliced ripe banana, and a huge drizzle of mighty maple. This was, by far, one of my favorite yogurt bowls yet- the peanut butter took it to a whole other level, and made for an over-the-top snack in terms of richness and flavor.

Last night, I was craving an asian inspired dish for dinner that would somehow involve the use of soba noodles. I headed straight to the lovely heidi swanson and made a tried and true recipe that I knew wouldn’t fail me-

Wasabi Crusted Tofu with Garlic Soba Noodles
I basically followed Heidi’s recipe for her Garlic Soba Noodles to a tee, except that I substituted the parmesan for my raw vegan chipotle cayenne parma, which is possible the greatest stuff since sliced (banana) bread. However, I chose to do my own thing for the tofu portion of the dish and whipped up two delicious slabs of wasabi crusted tofu. The night before, I whipped up a quick marinade consisting of ginger tamari, brown rice vinegar, agave nectar, toasted sesame oil, and a squirt of sriracha and let the tofu bathe in the mixture overnight. Once I started on dinner, I removed the tofu from the fridge, pulsed about 1 cup of fiery hot wasabi peas in the food processor until the texture was similar to that of course sea salt, dredged the tofu in the peas, and fry it up to a golden crisp (this tofu always come out great when baked). I topped the soba noodles with the tofu, and called it dinner. This meal packed in some major flavor! These crunchy little firecrackers fancied up my tofu and took it to a whole other dimension, providing a wonderful texture that took my tastebuds on quite the culinary journey! Amazing, from start to finish.
For dessert, I indulged in this bowl of heaven-

Coconut Milk Ice Cream(!!!) buried underneath layers of sliced banana and warm frozen blueberries topped with juicy, plump raisins.
A holy YUM is certainly in order when describing this beautiful creation. Turtle Mountain’s non-dairy frozen confections have never disappointed, but they’ve totally outdone themselves with this one- the coconut flavor was delicate but apparent, and the texture was so incredibly rich and creamy. It paired perfectly with the blueberries, adding a lovely contrast of warmth and chill.
Off to Whole Foods, and then I’ll probably be spending the day outside in some way or another. It’s going to get up to 85 degrees, after all! See ya!
Edit- I just read about Jenna’s loss, and I am so deeply saddened by the news. Jenna and her family are in my thoughts, prayers, and my heart.

16 comments
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April 25, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Heather (be well & take care)
Wasabi crusted tofu looks amazing!
I just tried the Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Ice Cream – it’s HEAVENLY! I haven’t had real ice cream in almost 2 years and I sort of forgot what it tastes like since most soy and rice based ice creams have that “taste” but this stuff is so creamy and decadent. Major yum.
April 25, 2009 at 4:10 pm
helpmeghanrun
Your photos are so lovely, Erica! :)
http://www.HelpMeghanRun.com
April 25, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Shelby
Gorgeous pictures Erica! They never fail to make me smile =)
Ooo and I’m loving all the nut butters in this post. Breakfast sounds utterly delicious and that sweet potato! I love almond butter on sweet potatoes!
April 25, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Amanda
Your pictures of NYC make me want to jump on a jet plane RIGHT NOW! Even though I have 0 cash. And your yogurt bowls are perfection. That is how we should all savor our Fage.
April 25, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Nora
Central Park Pics are awesome!
I think I’ve asked you before, but what brand is that Blueberry Vinaigrette? I’d LOVE to try it.
Also, nut butter on a SP?!! what a wonderufl idea. I might even try it with PB some day!
Have you tried the cookie dough coconut mil ice cream? That might be my absolute favorite “ice cream” of all time!
April 25, 2009 at 5:39 pm
laci
BEAUTIFUL PICS of Central Park- are you a professional!?
Great eats- love sweet potatoes, hearty salads, oat bran and cereal! :-)
April 25, 2009 at 5:39 pm
laci
BEAUTIFUL PICS of Central Park- are you a professional!?
Great eats- love sweet potatoes, hearty salads, oat bran and cereal! :-)
(and nutbutter of course!)
April 25, 2009 at 6:38 pm
ksgoodeats
I love the pictures of Central Park! Hope you get a lot of goodies at WFs :)
April 25, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Ruby Red Vegan
Erica, you are ace at photography!!! WOW! And you are also incredibly creative in the kitchen…and you sure have amazing taste when you go out to eat, too! All this nut butter action is making my mouth water, and your b-fast, lunch, & dinner today look incredible.
As for Jenna, oh my goodness, that is so sad. I’m praying for her too! <3 <3
April 25, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Elyse
Wasabi-crusted tofu sounds amazing!! How yummy. And your pics of Central Park are phenomenal. I so wish I could be there right now. You’ve captured the ethereal nature of the park, and I’m uber-impressed.
April 25, 2009 at 8:53 pm
sue
i will def try that sweet potato almond butter combo, it sounds divine! amazing photos as always!
April 25, 2009 at 11:16 pm
catrionax
oh man, I really wish I could get PB & Co here in England, tried some of my friends Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough while in Chicago and it was by far the best peanut butter i’ve ever tasted.
April 25, 2009 at 11:36 pm
Meg
Love your breakfast bowl! Thanks for all the pics. They are beautiful!
April 26, 2009 at 4:47 am
Alisa - Frugal Foodie
Gorgeous photos – the food and the scenery!
April 26, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Heather
I was totally inspired by your yogurt mess! I just featured it on my blog. And then today I tried my own version. Check it out.
I’m also a vegetarian here in New York in Brooklyn, but I’m also working on losing a bunch of weight…
gettingbacktoskinnymini.blogspot.com
April 26, 2009 at 10:27 pm
erica
Thank you so much guys!
Nora- I haven’t tried the cookie dough flavor yet, but it’s next on my list!