Week Four!

What a great week! Almost everyone lost weight this week, and it was a tough one with the draw of Super Bowl snacks and the emotional eating that came after.

The Leader Board for this week:

1st Spencer
2nd Jennifer
3rd Doug

Congrats to everyone!

I also wanted to share my new favorite recipe. This is super adaptable to whatever you like, and it makes amazing lunches for the week. Don’t be scared by the name, and the ingredients are easily found in any supermarket.

Vegetarian Sushi Bowl Recipe
I've included the instructions for cooking brown rice here, but when I'm pinched for time I just grab for frozen, pre-cooked brown rice (freeze it yourself, or look for it in the freezer section at Whole Foods).
2 cups short-grain brown rice
3 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
2 (4-inch) square sheets nori seaweed
6 ounces extra-firm tofu
grated zest and juice of one orange
grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons (raw) brown sugar (reg. sugar is ok too)
2 tablespoons shoyu sauce (or soy sauce)
2 tablespoons (brown) rice vinegar
4 green onions, chopped
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Rinse and drain the rice two or three times. Combine the rice, water, and salt in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, cover, and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 45 minutes.
Toast the nori in a preheated 300F degree oven or a medium-hot skillet for a few minutes. Crumble or chop coarsely.
Drain the tofu and pat it dry. Cut the block of tofu lengthwise through the middle to make four 1/4-to 1/2-inch thick sheets of tofu. Two at a time, cook in a dry skillet or well-seasoned skillet over medium-high for a few minutes until browned on one side. Flip gently, then continue cooking for another minute or so, until the tofu is firm, golden, and bouncy. Let cool, enough to handle, then cut crosswise into matchsticks (see photo). Repeat with the remaining sheets.
To make the dressing, set the sheets aside. Combine the orange juice lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 1 or 2 minute, the add the shoyu and vinegar. Return to a gentle boil and cook another 1 or 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the zests.
When the rice is done, stir in 1/3 cup of the dressing and add more to taste. Scoop the rice into individual bowls and top with the toasted nori, green onions, tofu, avocado slices, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
Makes 4-6 serving
**The most delicious part of this bowl is the dressing. I usually double the recipe and use it to roast veggies in.
**I always roast some additional veggies to throw into the bowl.
**You can add any kind of meat if you would like, but sometimes I also add some lentils instead.
**I keep the dressing separate from the veggies, tofu, and rice, until I’m ready to throw my lunch together for the next day and it will keep all week.
**I like to mix a little wasabi powder in sour cream and do a drizzle on top, which tastes awesome and looks really pretty if you use a combo of black sesame seeds as well.

Linsey Broadbent | Nurse Manager
Kidney & Liver Clinic|Solid Organ Transplant
University of Utah Hospital and Clinics
T: 801.585.6778 | F: 801.585.6155