Vegetarian “Beef” Sukiyaki

Sukiyaki, although not mine. This one's prettier.

It’s been a Swank diet week here in the Two Bites kitchens. We’re attempting to eat healthier, and for the most part we’re succeeding.  We just need to stop eating out on the weekends, and stick to the menu we keep during the week.  Of course that doesn’t always work when you have a stack of “Buy One Get One” brunch coupons and gift cards for LEYE (Lettuce Entertain You) stacking up on your breakfast bar.  We love eating healthy, but we love a cheap meal out even more.

I spent the morning yesterday making another recipe from the Multiple Sclerosis Diet Cookbook I mentioned yesterday.  Again, you can use real beef as the original recipe calls for, but I swapped out the proteins with some Trader Joe’s Beef-less strips.  For a recipe that doesn’t require any herbs or spices, it’s a pretty tasty dish.

Vegetarian “Beef” Sukiyaki

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 1/2 lbs (3 packages) Trader Joe’s Beef-less strips, cut into slices
• 4 oz sliced Shiitake mushrooms
• 4 oz (1 can) sliced bamboo shoots
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 pound extra firm tofu, pressed of water and cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup green onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups cooked brown rice

Heat the large skillet or wok on high heat.  Add oil.  When oil begins to sizzle drop in the “beef” and brown, cooking 2-3 minutes.  Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and onion.  Stir-fry for 5 minutes, turning vegetables frequently.  When onions begin to soften add the wine and soy sauce.  Add the tofu and green onion cooking for 1 minute.  Serve over the rice.  Serves 6.

Vegetarian Cream of “Chicken” & Mushroom Soup

As is usually the case, summer has disappeared a little too quickly here in Chicago.  Normally I don’t mind the lack of 90 degree temperatures, but they were in even shorter supply than normal this year, leaving it feeling more like a prolonged spring easing its way into a, hopefully, prolonged fall.

Needless to say, I do not like winter.  It is the devil’s season.  By the time February rolls around, there’s a vague sense that everyone is looking forward to punching everyone else in the face.  But perhaps being trapped inside looking at the same 4 walls all winter will do that to a person.  Or in this case, an entire city.

Luckily, it’s not here yet, but fall has most definitely set in which makes it the perfect weather some soup.  This cream of chicken and mushroom recipe was adapted from the Swank Multiple Sclerosis Diet Cookbook.  It’s a great book for people dealing with Multiple Sclerosis and are looking for other ways beside medicine to boost their health.  Just be forewarned that it’s not an easy diet.  It’s a strict low-fat regime that I wasn’t even able to stick to.  But that could be love of carbs talking.

You can easily replace the veggie chicken with real chicken to give yourself that meat fill you’re craving.

Vegetarian Cream of “Chicken” & Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 lb sliced mushrooms
• 1/3 cup AP flour
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk
• 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 2 packages Trader Joe’s Chickenless Strips, diced
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• chopped parsley
• paprika

Pour oil into a large saucepan and saute onion over medium heat until tender.  Add mushrooms and cook 10 minutes.  Blend in flour.  Gradually stir in chicken broth, skim milk that has been mixed with the nonfat dry milk powder, and the wine.  Stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to a boil.  Add remaining ingredients except parsley and paprika.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.  Garnish with parsley and paprika.  Serves 6.

Episode 6: MRIs, Encased Meats & Margaritos

Twobitme & Katie return from their 2 week hiatus to discuss Hot Doug’s, Red Mango, Genghis Grill, along with a plethora of other edible fun. They also discuss an update on Mike’s health.

The least researched, most opinionated podcast about Chicago and its suburbs returns!

Intro

• National MS Society

Segment 1

• Red Mango
• Berry Chill
• Starfruit

Segment 2

• Genghis Grill

Segment 3

• Chocolate Covered Pretzel Bread Pudding (Just added!)

Segment 4

• Doritos: The Quest
• Mike’s Review

Segment 5

• Hot Doug’s

Outro

• Fritz Pastry
• Nacional 27

E-mail us: twobitesinsuburbia@gmail.com

Visit us: twobites.wordpress.com

Join us:
http://twobites.podbean.com

Subscribe at iTunes:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=278683274

Find us at Podcast Pickle:
http://www.podcastpickle.com/cast/41149

Digg Us:
http://digg.com/podcasts/Two_Bites_In_Suburbia

Offtopic: Mike K.O.’s MS

I went to my neurologist yesterday to have my first MRI in 3 years.  I treat the MS as sort of an “out of sight, out of mind” disorder, so since it wasn’t bothering me, why pay for tests I don’t need.

Turns out, I was right.  They actually thought the MRI machine was malfunctioning, because there were absolutely no new or active lesions, and the ones I did have were also gone.  The only thing they could find was the scar tissue from one of the lesions that sent me to the hospital in 2003.

The conversation with my doctor was hilarious.  He looked at me and said, “I feel bad, because I feel like I’m not doing my job.  I could tell you that you should be on interferon, but obviously with your lifestyle changes you’re doing as good, if not better than someone who is on treatment.”

How effin’ cool is THAT?

We decided that we’ll just keep tabs once a year.  Get an MRI, talk about new treatments, stuff like that.  If anything comes up, I should definitely call, but he doesn’t feel there’s a need to waste my time with tons of appointments.

I ain’t complaining.

Between this, and the physical therapy I’m in to retrain my muscles to end my back pain and make everything fire properly again, it’s all looking pretty good.

Who knew that eating right, soft exercise and lack of stress actually CAN make a difference.  What a shock.

I cannot stress enough how changing the small things changed the big things.  Whole grains.  Fruit.  More vegetables.  Less crap for the system to ingest.  It actually does work.

But no one’s blaming you if you drink that milk shake.  We’re all allowed to spoil ourselves time and again.

I also cannot tell you how important living a stress free life is.  I know the world is pretty much against the idea that stress-free can exist, but it is possible.  My old job literally seemed to be killing me with stress.  The stress of fighting a constantly losing bureaucratic battle.  The stress of watching things happen around me that I knew were bad for the business.  I finally had to leave it.  And you know what?  Yeah, my new job causes the odd bits of stress, but since I left the library in 2004, I HAVEN’T RELAPSED once.  Barely even a symptom.

Medicines are good.  I truly believe in them if they help.  But for those of you out there who want something more, check out books by John McDougall, or check out the MS Diet Cookbook by Roy Swank.  Even if they just provide you a couple new things to add to your diet.

We’re totally celebrating this weekend.

Local Chefs Support MS Awareness Week in Chicago

Something I don’t believe I’ve talked about here on Two Bites is my special interest in Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week. I was diagnosed with MS in May of 2001, so I’ll shortly be celebrating my 7th anniversary with the rather obnoxious and annoying disease. Happy anniversary to me!

I don’t talk about it often, because frankly I refuse to be defined by it. When I was first diagnosed, people treated me as if I had final stage cancer. On the upside, people kept baking me cakes. On the downside, all those cakes and the prescribed Prednisone led to a rather hefty weight gain. In either case, no sane person can handle that much pity before they go a little crazy and refuse to live their life as if it was over.

Thanks to a change in diet, job and lifestyle, I haven’t had a relapse (or exacerbation) in 5 years. I’m pretty damn lucky, all being said and done. Aside from the occasionally energy lapse, I haven’t had so much as a symptom in 2 years. A stress and (mostly) preservative/chemical free lifestyle DOES make a difference.

But, I’m not the point of this post. I was flipping through the local Red Eye, the free publication from the Chicago Tribune, and happened upon an ad that I thought was both important AND topical for this blog. 9 local bakeries are joining with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Illinois Chapter to help spread information about fighting the disease while also selling some tasty food.
From the ad:

“On March 10-17, join the NMSS, Greater Illinois Chapter as we celebrate National MS Awareness Week. Visit select Chicago-area bakeries and cafes, buy something sweet and you’ll get information on how you can Join the Movement and help create a world free of MS.

Visit the following locations during MS Awareness Week and participate in this special deal. Have a treat. Have several. Your sweet tooth will thank you, and so will countless others whose lives have been touched by MS.”

The participating bakeries and cafes are:

• Bleeding Heart Bakery – 1955 W. Belmont Ave – Chicago, IL
• Flourish Bakery – 1138 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. – Chicago, IL
• Solomon’s Cookies – 2222 N. Elston Ave. – Chicago, IL
• Vella Cafe – 1912 N. Western Ave. – Chicago, IL
• Cupcakes – 613 W. Briar Pl. – Chicago, IL
• Molly’s Cupcakes – 2536 N. Clark St. – Chicago, IL
• Cafe Selmarie – 4729 N. Lincoln Ave. – Chicago, IL
• Sweet Mandy B’s – 1208 W. Webster Ave. – Chicago, IL
• Apple’s Bakery – 8412 N. Knoxville Ave. – Peoria, IL

They list their site msillinois.org for a place to get more info, but I wasn’t able to find anything on their yet. You can also call 1-800-344-4867.