Entering a Cycle, Garlic Dal, Ginger Sesame Sweet Potato and Tempeh

Check it out! Featured in the Sunday paper!  Great article, and made the blog get more than 100 views in less than 24 hours. Stoked. The more views = the more I try to make it worth while!

Now that racing season is upon us, I've learned my eating trends (thank you food blog). On weeks that I have a race I eat super clean and healthy to get race ready, mentally and physically, and on off weeks I 'splurge'. Basically more sugar, fruit, wheat, diary (just yogurt), and sodium. More Japanese and less Mediterranean. Add in Fro Yo and Cookies. Now onto the clean cycle: (Vegans get ready!)

Sesame Ginger Tempeh and Sweet Potato Salad

   Main motivation for this meal was use Ginger, Sweet Potato, and the Spring Mix Greens from the fridge. I tried sort of my own variation of the Orange Tempeh Glaze and it was partially super successful! Lesson 1: don't make a sauce that has tahini in it and then put it on a medium-high heat pan, it just gets stuck and isn't liquidy enough. #1 The good: Browning/toasting tempeh in a non stick pan first makes it extra good, ESPECIALLY with Sweet Potato, which also officially goes great with Sesame! I cut up the potato and mixed it into the salad and it was all a Sesame crunchy and slightly creamy but attitude packed (ginger/wasabi) dish! Still tasty and no meat/wheat/oil/dairy here (just vegetables/seeds)!

-Tempeh browned, then simmered in Ginger Glaze (use for dressing as well)

   -Lemon, Tahini, Ginger Juice, Minced Ginger, Wasabi

-Spring Mix, Purple Carrot, Tomato

-Green Onion and Toasted Sesame Seeds to top

-Baked Sweet Potato

Garlic Toor Dal Plate

It's kind of fun for a second when there's a lot in the fridge and I have to figure out what's going bad the soonest and makes sense to use. Thus, for today's clean lunch, I went with the leftover Dal, and chose some vegetables to cook with.  #2 Dal is a little bland/dry on it's own, but with a little bit of spices and sweetener or healthy fat added it's becomes delicious.  Today mine was like mashed potatoes except 300x tastier and healthier. Remixed everything together with plenty of Garlic, Parsley, Olives, and Sesame for a tasty bowl of only vegetables (yet still calorically and nutritionally sound)!
-Toor Dal Leftovers (w/ Garlic Tahini Sauce, Olives, Parsley, Garam Masala)
-Rainbow Chard Saute (usual Garlic, Thyme, Pepper)
-Tomato, Olives, Parsley
-Tahini Sauce (leftover Sol Food Garlic Lemon Dressing, Tahini)