Power Hungry

What do you eat when you're power hungry? Like, I mean totally-exhausted-and-needing-fuel-or -you'll-pass-out-within-the-next-five-minutes hungry? My body must be going through some sort of repair stage because I've felt this hungry twice in the past week. One of those times I was in my classroom getting ready to read a story to 25 little pre-teen monsters during the last period of the day -- a challenge in itself, much less when you're super hungry. I had to settle for cereal, soy milk and another cup of tea.




What I really wanted was this tofu chickpea scramble that I made the other night, when my first power-hunger hit. It has a triple -- yes triple -- dose of protein provided by tofu, chickpeas and a nice drizzle of tahini. It's a simple dish, flavoured with ginger, soy, a little dash of curry powder and a big splash of lime juice. Paired with whole grain red rice and kale, it totally sucker punched my hunger right in the gut. A satisfying, tasty and nutrient-packed meal -- plus it's easy enough for a stressful weeknight: what are you waiting for?

Tofu Chickpea Scramble
adapted from Choosing Raw
serves 2 power hungry people

1/2 cup of your favourite grain (I used red rice. Quinoa or millet would also be fantastic)
1 cup of water or broth
1 bunch of greens -- kale, spinach, chard, collards, even broccoli florettes

1/2 inch bit of ginger
1 teaspoon of curry powder
1 cup of cooked chickpeas (canned is fine as well -- just rinse and drain first!)
1 6oz package of firm tofu
1 little drizzle of toasted sesame seed oil
1 tablespoon of tahini
1 big splash of soy
the juice of a lime

1. Rinse your grain out well and place in a pot. Add your water or broth and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and then cook, covered. Times will vary depending on your grain. My red rice take a little bit longer than regular rice. When it's almost done, add in your greens. Cover, and let them steam for about 5ish minutes.

2. In a skillet, sweat the ginger in some olive oil for about 3-4 minutes, until it gets nice and fragrant. Add the curry powder and let it toast for about 1 minute.

3. Crumble in the tofu and give it a good mix. Let the tofu brown for a couple of minutes. If you're using a non-stick pan, you should be fine. If not, you might need to add a touch more oil to make sure things don't get too dry.

4. When the tofu is browned, add the chickpeas, tahini, sesame oil, soy and lime juice. Stir well and let it cook for another few minutes.

5. Divide your rice and greens into two bowls. Add your tofu scramble and dig in.