My friend who inspired me to start running half
marathons also got me into the zone diet. I've never been the person to
"diet" but decided to try it for the health benefits and to educate
myself to make healthier decisions as a vegetarian.
I absolutely love it but am not here to preach
about! Just want to share my recipes for those who are already convinced
and looking for some tasty zone meals. If you're interested, look into it
to see how you feel about it here.
Zoned
4 block - Vegetarian Tofu Larb Recipe
(#
of blocks) - these are the items that I count towards my blocks. All other
items I do not count so depending on how strict you are, please make
adjustments to meet your requirements.
Protein - (4) tofu
Carb - (2) green beans, (2) rice
powder
Fat - (4) peanuts
Ingredients
- 8 oz. extra firm tofu
- 2 cups diced green beans (I like Chinese long green beans for
the extra crunch)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- shallots sliced
- 1 tbs oil
Group A:
- Juice
from 1-2 limes
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce (traditionally used with fish sauce)
- 1/4
cup Rice powder
- Salt
to taste
Group B:
- 3-5
Thai red chilies (chopped)- very spicy!!!
- 1–2
stalks Lemongrass (chopped)
- 2
stalks Green onion (chopped)
- 1/2
cup Cilantro (Leaves picked off the stem)
- 1/2
cups Mint (Leaves picked off the stem)
- 24
peanuts (chopped)
Drain and then crumble the tofu with a fork in a
bowl. Sauté the garlic and shallots with 1 tbs of oil (or less if if can
get away with it) for a minute or two. Add in the tofu to brown for five
minutes, toss often. Add in the green beans and cook for another 5
minutes or until you like the texture of your tofu and green beans. I
like my beans crunchy so I don't cook it for too long.
Remove from heat and add the Group A
ingredients. Mix and taste. Adjust seasoning to your liking. Add
ingredients from group B.
I usually double this recipe to make two meals at once. This dish is traditionally served as a chicken or beef Thai/Laotian salad. I chose to have crunchy green beans, however it's more common to eat it with fresh cucumbers, lettuce, or cabbage!
Enjoy! Feel free to add suggestions and ask any questions.
