As I've been in a period of transition in my career, I've had to accept the "mess" of it all. I haven't had much sleep in the past two months, much less time to bathe. It's been a period of discovery for me and recently in this process, I've also fallen off the self-love bandwagon. As a yoga teacher, I profess self-love is the only place to begin a regular yoga practice - you will fall on your face at some point trying to get into crow or handstand, it's a non-negotiable. That doesn't mean that through time and practice, you won't find a beautiful inversion. But oftentimes, success results from humble beginnings. And too often, we take those beginnings for granted. Myself included.
"Beginning" (yes, I'm using it as a noun here) offers us the opportunity to grow, to try and fail and to discover how we want to be and what we want to believe. It's okay to feel off or grumpy about it - growing can sometimes be painful. In the last week, I've had to make a conscious effort to tell myself how wonderful and loved I am and to move forward from a place of faith in my steadfast dedication to myself and my life. Beyond that, there are so many reasons to feel gratitude for life and the potential that comes from humble beginnings. Let's not take our opportunity for transformation for granted and show the world exactly who we are, even when we're in transition.
With that said, I shall move onto the salad. I made this in an effort to truly "feed" my body. When I feel ragged or run-down, I go for soba. This salad recipe was taken from Green Kitchen Stories and it's so life-affirming, I almost feel like I owe David and Luise a personal thank you...so here it is: "Thank you David and Luise! You rock!"
The recipe requires a bit of prep ahead of time as the tofu needs to be marinated but other than that, this salad is a breeze to make. I think it would be a great dish for a vegan potluck (or a yogi potluck) and I'm sure you could also roast or saute the tofu if you don't like it cold.
And yes, even my meat-loving father enjoyed it! True to soba's humble beginning (it's a noodle made of buckwheat flour), it's a no-nonsense dish. Make sure to eat it with people who love you as you are (it also helps if they like tofu and soba).
Soba Noodle and Herb Tofu Salad
From Green Kitchen Stories
Serves 2
buckwheat soba noodles, for 2 persons
½ zucchini (sliced thin, in the same shape as noodles)
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp rice vinegar (optional)
½ lime, juice
Herb marinated tofu
200 g firm tofu
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 handful of fresh herbs (coriander, parsley or mint)
1-inch fresh ginger, minced
salt & pepper, to taste
Vegetables & fruits
4 cherry tomatoes
4 small broccolini
1 chioggia beet, thinly sliced
4 tbsp edamame beans, blanched
2 slices melon
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 handful sprouts, for serving
Preparing the tofu: Combine olive oil, herbs, ginger and salt & pepper in a food processor or chop by hand. Drain the tofu, pat dry, and cut into big squares. Pour the marinade over the tofu and set aside for about 30 minutes.
Preparing the noodles: Boil the noodles according to the package. Drain and rinse in cold water. Add sesame oil, rice vinegar and lime juice and stir until combined. Add zucchini noodles and combine. Leave to cool off a bit.
Assembling the salad: Place the noodles in two bowls. Top with tomatoes, broccolinis, chioggia beet, edamame, melon, tofu and sprouts. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve!
Notes: We used a red beet instead of chioggia, use whatever you like or can find. If you can't find soba noodles, you could use your favorite pasta. You just wouldn't get the same silky consistency from the pasta as you would from soba. Additionally, if you don't like tofu, you could leave it out but I would substitute it with some extra veggies or meat if you prefer - this is supposed to be a substantial salad but it shouldn't weigh you down either.
