Links + Thoughts, a Remix

More aptly titled: a playlist + a recipe

I’ve been slowly adding some of my favorite pump-up songs to a playlist - the songs that remind me of my clients’ journeys of healing. Some of these songs were recommended to me by clients when we were sharing particularly difficult meals. Most are great options for a nice f*ck diet culture, self-empowering, sometimes cheesy message. Fueling our bodies and taking care of ourselves is a radical act; sometimes we need a little bit of a movie soundtrack to help inspire us to get that fuel into our bodies. Yeah - there’s a lot of Taylor Swift on here. You know what? I could have added more. Maybe I still will. I’ll add to this as we go along, and I would LOVE to hear what your go to songs are for kicking your butt into gear to keep fighting diet culture BS. It’s not my usual vibe for links, but hopefully someone out there can get some use out of it.

Recipe:

A non-traditional Pho a la Gretchen

Photo by Matthew Hamilton on Unsplash

Broth:

• 2 large handfuls of dried mushrooms

• the outer layers of an onion (save internal parts for another recipe or to cook for the soup!)

• a couple carrots (chop into a couple pieces) or the shavings from a couple peeled carrots

• 1 tbsp ginger

• 1 sachet of pho seasoning

• 1 tbsp fish sauce (or veg fish sauce, I found mine at an international grocer)

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp sugar

• 8 cups water

1. Cook the onion and ginger in the pot alone to char slightly

2. Throw all the veggies into the pot with water and bring to a boil

3. Reduce to a simmer and let steep for at least 1 hour

4. After at least one hour, throw in the tea satchet and let simmer for another 30 minutes

5. After the 30 minutes, add fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and any other desired flavors

6. Use a colander to strain out all ingredients from the broth

7. Save broth in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for later use.

Tofu:

• Cut tofu block into 3rds to make 3 equal sized, thin pieces

• Press tofu to reduce water - I wrap in a clean, dry towel and press with a large pot or baking dish - press for at least 30 minutes

• Use about 1 tsp hoisin sauce, 1 tsp siracha, and a dash of fish sauce to create a marinade on top of tofu

• Bonus points if you let this marinate over night - otherwise just pop it in the air fryer or oven for about 20 minutes at 425 degrees.

• *Other protein options could be chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp*

Soup:

• 1 cup of broth per serving

• 1 cup cut veggies of choice per serving

  • broccoli

  • carrots

  • onions

  • mushrooms

  • bok choy

  • spinach

  • garlic

  • ginger

• 1 tbsp neutral oil like veg or canola - could also use coconut

• 1/3 block of tofu - pressed, marinated, and cooked

• 1 fist full of rice noodles per serving

• 1 lime, quartered

• 1 small handful of thai basil

• 1 small handful cilantro

• 1 jalapeño, sliced

• Small chopped green onions

1. Heat oil of choice in a pot.

2. In a second pot boil a pot of water large enough for 1 handful of noodles per person eating. Once water is boiling, add noodles and cook as directed.

3. Add any veggies to your oil that need to be sauteed prior to adding the broth (mushrooms, onions, garlic, ginger, bok choy. Let cook until slightly softened.

4. Add broth to veggies and bring to a simmer or low boil.

5. Once boiling, add any other veggies to the broth to cook for 5-7 minutes to soften before serving.

6. While water is boiling and veggies are cooking, put your limes, cilantro, basil, sliced jalapeño, and green onions to a plate.

7. Evenly distribute noodles, veggies, protein, and broth among bowls. Serve with your plate of herbs and flavorings as well as siracha and hoisin.

   ---

If you follow an exchange-based meal plan this covers:

• 3 proteins, 2 grains, 1 veg, 1 fat

If you follow an entree/side-based meal plan this covers:

• 1 entree, 2 sides

If you are an ‘Intuitive Eater’, you do you :)