Midnight Snacks and Delicious Discoveries

Maybe it's just me, but somehow when I'm studying, my appetite increases by a factor of 1000. Yesterday, I was on an absolute roll at my favorite coffee shop (where I think I am finally considered a regular because they can predict what I'm going to order. Life goal #1--check!) and all of a sudden, I started thinking about banana bread. But not just any banana bread, pomegranate banana bread.

How specific is that?

I was unable to concentrate on my work, so I decided to succumb to my craving.

[Inspired by Lea's pomegranate, pistachio, and banana bread].

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (I used a little bit less)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 2 1/2 tbsp applesauce, unsweetened
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 egg (I used egg substitute)
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 3/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

First, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, sugar).

Mix wet ingredients (mashed banana, applesauce, oil, egg, milk).

Add dry to wet, gradually. Then stir in the pecans and most of the pomegranates. Spread into baking pan and top with rest of pomegranates and pecans.

Bake at 350F for ~30 minutes.

So moist and exactly what I was looking for! And the pomegranates still stay juicy even after baking.

For my dinner today (somehow my dinners get earlier and earlier everyday...) I was thinking about a Ramen noodle-esque dish. Tulika-fied, of course.

I had clear a vision for it. Somehow, this dish turned into something like a vegetarian pho. COOL! I've never had pho before, but I'm assuming this is what a vegetarian variation would taste like. 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/8 cup quinoa (I used red)
• 1/4 block tofu
• frozen peas
• frozen spinach
• frozen mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic
• lemon pepper/black pepper/crushed red pepper to taste

Heat the broth to boiling and add the quinoa. Cover and let cook for 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and frozen veggies to the pot and cover again.

I decided to chop the tofu into thin, noodle-like shapes.

After 10 minutes, add the tofu to the pot along with seasonings.

Cover for another 5-10 minutes.

The quinoa and tofu make this a really heavy dish. Hopefully a midnight snack won't be necessary tonight!

Please let me know if you have any other "exam" food ideas you'd like to see in the next few days. And thanks so much to those of you who have given me your input!