My Favorite Vegetarians

May 1st I am going to be a Jersey girl again! The past two years I have lived in Philadelphia. Moving to Philadelphia totally pushed me out of my comfort zone. I was definitely trying to "run away" when I moved, but overall, I think it was a great decision. It has been a really amazing experience for me for a lot of reasons. One of the best reasons is that I have met a lot of really awesome new friends. Siobhan (my roommate) and Jim are two of those people that I am lucky to call friends now! They are both teachers, vegetarians, bikers and really FAST runners! (they won't admit that though because they are also very humble) When I moved into the city a healthy dinner for me was a Lean Cuisine and a sugar free pudding for dessert. Siobhan and Jim were always cooking such great recipes. I watched them out of the corner of my eye quite a few nights while I waited for my microwavable meal to finish. A couple times I remember thinking- I could make that! They always let me try their dinners, and I always loved them! Watching them inspired me to start cooking more and trying new recipes. They also introduced me to trail running. Last spring they invited me to sign up for a nighttime 7 mile trail run. I was really uneasy, but signed up anyway. It was really hilly and really hard but I REALLY loved it! When you are running on a trail it is a totally different experience from the road or treadmill. Even though I was breathing very hard, turning my ankles constantly, and my calves were throbbing, I felt more at ease and connected. I was surrounded by trees and it was really quiet. The entire 7 miles I was busy thinking about how lucky I am, how beautiful the scenery was, and how thankful I am for the people in my life. I was on a total running high I know, but I was addicted. This fall we did the same course, and I did much better! I also enjoyed it just as much.

Last week Siobhan and Jim gave me a vegetarian cooking lesson. Here is what we made:

Tempeh-Mushroom Stir-Fry and Soba Noodles

Tempeh is an unprocessed, whole grain product made from fermented soybeans, unlike tofu and other soybean products, which are usually processed.

Serves 2 to 3

16 ounces soba noodles, cooked
1 package tempeh, sliced into thin strips
3 tablespoons low-sodium tamari
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon of molasses
8 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces of white mushrooms
8 ounces of trumpet mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1 cupt cilantro, for garnish

Cook the soba noodles per the directions on the package, drain, and set aside. Thoroughly brown the tempeh strips on medium heat in a sprayed skillet or wok with 1 tablespoon of tamari. Set aside. Mix the remaining tamari, lemon juice, flour, and molasses together in a bowl until the flour is dissolved. Set aside. Heat a large, sprayed skillet or wok. Add the remaining ingredients except for the cilantro in the order listed, stirring for 1 minute after each addition. Remove from heat and add tempeh strips and sauce. Serve stir-fry warm over soba noodles and top with tempeh strips. Garnish with cilantro.

So yummy!

Jim & Siobhan