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Tofu Treats
When
you think of tofu, do you think of a white, flavorless, mushy substance?
Put that myth to rest for once and for all with these three fabulous tofu
recipes.
#1:
Baked
Tofu
Several readers
have asked us for our favorite baked tofu recipe. Well, here it is. It's
simple, quick to prepare, and tastes great. Try it cold in sandwiches,
warm with a bowl of Japanese rice and vegetables, or just as it is. Serve
plain or with dijon mustard, spicy Thai chili sauce, or a mixture of wasabi
and light soy sauce.
- 1 brick firm tofu
- 4 tsp. dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
1.
Whisk together mustard, soy sauce and garlic.
2.
Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch thick slices.
3.
Pour the
marinade over the tofu and mix gently to cover.
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4.
Place tofu
on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until brown and firm (about
10 minutes).
5. Serve
warm or let cool.
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#2:
Inarizushi
(Recipe makes about 16 pieces.)
- 2
1/2 cups cooked sushi rice
- 1 Tbs (or
to taste) Japanese rice vinegar
- 1 Tbs (or
to taste) Japanese mirin
- a pinch of salt
- 1 can of inari zushi no moto (seasoned tofu skins, available
at Asian markets, natural foods stores and some national grocery
chains)
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1.
When rice is warm but cool enough to touch,
sprinkle with rice vinegar, mirin and salt, and toss lightly to mix.
(Taste and add more vinegar, mirin, or salt if necessary.)
2.
Open each tofu skin and, with wet hands, press
a small amount of rice inside.
3.
Fold over the opening, and set the inarizushi
down on a decorative tray.
4.
Serve with wasabi, light soy sauce, and pickled
ginger.
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#3:
Soy Sausages
If
you're looking for a quick and delicious meatless source of protein,
try Tofurky Italian-style soy sausages with sun-dried tomatoes and
basil. They can be pan fried in a small amount of olive oil (pictured
here), grilled, or microwaved. Enjoy them for breakfast, lunch, or
dinner. |
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Green Opportunities
Some
earth-friendly tidbits that have landed in our office in recent weeks...
- Looking
for lunch-making inspiration? The Vegan Lunchbox blog at http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com
features a collection of lunch photos using the Laptop Lunch container.
The blogger photographs the creative lunches she packs for her child
each day and posts them for all to see. It's a "don't miss"
lunch-making resource! (Be sure to click on "Archives" for
even more menu photos.)
- Laptop
Lunch user, Laura Pasetta, has created a truly informative and unique
DVD called "How to make a Healthy Lunch for Kids,"available
for purchase at www.thevisualguide.com.
AND...she's generously offered our readers a 10%
discount! To take advantage of this offer (before December 31, 2006),
use the discount code laptop when checking out.
This 90 minute DVD contains hundreds of easy-to-follow, creative ideas
on:
- Cutting
and adding interest to fruits and vegetables.
- Making
the best of your leftovers.
- Sandwich,
wraps, & pita ideas.
- Soups,
bean and rice dishes.
- Helpful
tips for the busy parent.
- Healthy
and fun ways to make a fantastic lunch for your child!
- Visit
www.oriononline.org/pages/ogn/members/wfl.html
for more information on wastefreelunches.org.
- It's
just about that time of year again! The Green Festival in San Francisco
is slated for the weekend of November 5-6. We'll be there selling our
Laptop Lunches, and we hope to have some very cool new products to showcase
as well. You'll
find lots of green products, environmental resources, great food, fabulous
speakers, and an organic beer and wine bar. And...if
you're there, please stop by and say hello! (We'll
be in booth 427.) For
more information about this premier eco-event,
visit www.greenfestivals.com.
- Is
your lunchbox safe? Visit the Publix GreenWise Magazine at www.publix.com/wellness/greenwise/feature/Article.do?id=941&childId=1085
for information on preventing food-borne illnesses.
- A
communtiy of native Ugandans known as the Abayudaya has started producing
fair trade coffee. Their slogan is "not just a cup, but a just cup."
For more information, visit their Web site at: www.mirembekawomera.com.
- For
Asian bento ideas, photos, and recipes, visit http://msittig.freeshell.org/imgs/bento
and www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=131883.
New Retailers
Huckleberry's Natural
Market
926 S. Monroe Street
Spokane, WA 99204
Telephone: (509)
624-1349
Three Twins Ice Cream
641 Del Ganado Road
San Rafael, CA 94903
Telephone: (415) 492-TWIN
www.reusablebags.com
http://lightingtheflight.com/index.html
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Animals
Have Feelings Too
By Jim Farrell
When the folks at Laptop Lunches asked if I'd submit a few words
to their newsletter, I decided to floodlight a tangible environmental
issue. In my work with children I have learned that children are
adept at expressing concerns about these critical issues, so I chose
to "invent" the voice of Gabriela. It is a voice I have
heard many times. Share this letter with your children. I think
it will make for some good conversation.
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Dear
Mr. President,
My
name is Gabriela. I spent last weekend with my friend Carson who
lives near me. We both live in California. Carson's Aunt Zelda who
is real smart and wears a big floppy yellow hat was visiting too.
Zelda is a biologist and she runs all around Carson's big back yard
in the summer looking for moths and butterflies. She says there
aren't as many as there used to be because of pollution and climate
change and lots of other reasons which I can't remember right now.
Carson's
Aunt Zelda says the earth is getting hotter and one day even the
Eskimos will need air conditioners.
She
told us a lot of different kinds of plants and bugs and animals
are disappearing forever from the earth, even big strong animals
like gorillas and elephants. She calls them endangered species.
She read a book to us about animals that are disappearing.
There
was a picture in the book of a giant sheep called a bighorn sheep.
They live right here in California and they are on the list of disappearing
animals. And I have lived in California my whole life and we drive
all around California and I have never seen one California bighorn
sheep. Maybe they are all hiding because they are scared.
That's
sad because California is such neat place to be and I bet the bighorn
sheep like it here too.
My
favorite animal of all is the cheetah. It's like a kitty only much
bigger and spotted. Did you know cheetahs are the fastest animals
in the world? They can run over seventy miles an hour. That means
if they ran down my street as fast as they could they might get
a speeding ticket.
When
cheetahs run as fast as they can, all of their feet are in the air.
Zelda says cheetahs can fly twenty five feet. I think the Cheetah
is the most amazing animal anywhere. But guess what, Mr. President,
cheetahs are on the endangered species list too. There are hardly
any cheetahs left on the earth.
I
really want to see a cheetah someday but not in a zoo. My mom is
having a baby soon. His name is Alex and I'm worried me and my new
baby brother won't be able to see cheetahs or gorillas or elephants
except in books.
I
hope you can help save the disappearing animals because I want to
be a biologist like Carson's Aunt Zelda when I grow up and I will
have to visit a lot of animals in my job. Please save the animals
so I can see them when I am a biologist.
Sincerely,
Gabriela
Jim
Farrell is an author, actor, composer, songwriter, and children's
play write. Visit him at www.farrellworks.com.
Scripts, photos, and songs from "Animals Have Feelings Too" and
"Mrs. Inahurry and the Amazing Trash Converter," two earth-friendly
plays for elementary school children, are available from Farrellworks
on CD ROM. Click on Kid's Page and email jim@farrellworks.com
for details.
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Laptop
Lunches in the News
vegetarian
times
health SHOP
September
2005
ECO-EATS
Disposable bags and plastic utensils--just part of a packed lunch,
right? No more! Fed up with packaging waste, two moms created this
reusable lunch kit. And, because they're moms, they care about nutrition:
The Complete Laptop Lunch System comes with a 96-page guide loaded
with healthy veg recipes and tips for reducing throwaways. And it's
not just for kids--anyone on the go (airplane travelers!) will love
this kit and insulated case. From Laptop Lunches, $34.
831.457.0301; www.laptoplunches.com
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What Works...Success
Stories
- "I
want to tell you we are loving our laptop lunch system. My son thinks
he has the coolest lunchbox in the entire school (and he's right!).
"FYI, I started a photoblog called "Vegan Lunch Box,"
taking pictures of the vegan meals I send to school with my son. They
feature our laptop lunchbox, and I've included a link to your website
so people know where they can get one."
http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com
- "I
just completed my 30th year as an speech pathologist in the school system
and have been an insulin-dependent diabetic for nearly all of that time.
School lunches are well represented by starchy items--it is nearly impossible
for me to eat them and get a well-balanced meal that fits my meal plan.
For the last several years, I have carried my lunch every single day
and have gone through many lunch bags in an attempt to find something
that holds my food without spilling it, keeps it cold if there is no
space in the lounge or cafeteria refrigerator, and is not too bundlesome
to carry. (I traveled between 2 schools and was already carrying a lot
of stuff!) Thank you for developing the Laptop Lunch!"
--
Brenda Green, Inman, SC
- "Last
year I made an Earth Day resolution to decrease use of disposable paper
and plastic products and changed my habits when packing my two sons'
and my husband's lunch. At the same time I was doing a lot of research
for Earth Day activities for my son's preschool. We are moving to a
new city soon, and thought the lunch boxes will be a nice thing to use
in our new digs. Thanks for the quick service!"
--
Kelly Kelso, San Diego, CA
- We
bought our first laptop lunch container at a health food store called
The Market Place in Santa Fe, NM. No more plastic bags. We use ours
almost every day. My daughter is starting school (preschool) on Monday...
I figured it was time for a new one... Ours is looking pretty used.
--Susan
Grubb, Santa Fe, NM
-
"I
like the containers." JJ, age 7
Do
you have a success story or photo to share? Email it to us at newsletter@obentec.com.
Featured Web Site:
http://www.feingold.org
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Trouble
may begin in the grocery cart !
Did you know that the brand of ice cream, cookie and potato chip
you select, and the type of fruit or vegetable you choose, can have
a direct effect on your behavior, health, and ability to learn?
That your irritability, hyperactivity, headaches, asthma or hives
could be triggered by certain chemicals in the products you buy?
For
nearly 30 years Feingold Association volunteers at www.feingold.org
have been helping families give their children better food. Their
main focus is on removing the worst of the synthetic food additives;
they make the process very do-able and easy -- even for the confirmed
convenience food shopper.
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In addition to helping families improve the quality of food they eat,
they're committed to improving the food being served in schools. To
learn how you can change your school food service choices, visit www.School-Lunch.org.
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November Highlights
Fun
with Fruit, Green Opportunities, The Truth about Plastics, and Fair Trade
Coffee Deals.
© September 2005 Obentec,
Inc.
849 Almar Ave., Suite C-323
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-457-0301
REPRINT PERMISSION
Feel free to reprint
or forward this newsletter with the following acknowledgment and contact
information clearly visible: "Thank you to Obentec, Inc. for permission
to use this copyrighted material. For more information, contact Obentec,
Inc. by email at info@obentec.com
or by phone at 831-457-0301, or visit their Web site at http://www.obentec.com.
Reprint permission granted with this full notice included."
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