i am a food blog

You guys, you know what I’m the worst at? Packing. I’m absolutely horrible. I love making lists and getting everything together and ready to put into the luggage but when it comes to actually fitting things inside, I’m a mess. I’ve tried rolling things up, laying things flat, compartmentalizing – I’ve tried it all. I’m really bad at visualizing things in spaces. It’s funny because when I pack, all the things end up taking so much space. Then Mike will come by, shake his head, rearrange everything and all of a sudden there will be space in our bags for extra stuff (and by extra stuff I totally mean more green tea pocky!)

I’m always on the look out for better ways to pack but recently, I discovered the most ultimate packing tool: compression bags. Our friend came to visit us in Japan with just a tiny carry on. He had so many changes of clothing though so I didn’t get how he got everything in there. On the last day, as he was stuffing green tea latte souvenirs into the side pockets, I saw a weird large ziplock bag. He squished it and my curiosity got the best of me.

Turns out it was a compression bag – apparently all the rage with backpackers. Thing is, I’ve never gone backpacking. And…I’m pretty sure if I ever did go backpacking my bag would be comically large. Anyway, the way it work is, you put your clothes in the bag, seal it, and then roll it to  squish all the air out through these two small vents at the bottom of the bag. It squishes your clothes into a tiny, tiny package. Of course, you clothes come out all wrinkly, but if you’re just using it for bulky, squishy things like sweats (let’s face it, my main wardrobe choice) then you’ll be just fine.

Speaking of squishy things, have you guys ever tried tofu puffs? They’re soft and airy cubes of tofu that have delightfully hollow insides. They’re chill, don’t try to be anything else, and are kind of the sweat pants of the tofu world. Tofu puffs are my life and I basically built this bowl around them. I could eat them morning, noon, and night. I just open up a package and snack on them plain. But, I totally get it if you don’t eat plain tofu puffs so here’s a little breakfast bowl that’ll get you through the day. Creamy avocado, a six minute egg, tofu puffs, and seaweed. Super protein-full and super delicious. See, I’m not all carbs all the time! Okay, who am I kidding, usually I am all carbs, all the time.

Quinoa Breakfast Bowls
serves 2

Quinoa

• 1 – 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• 8-12 tofu puffs
• miso mustard dressing
• sliced green onions, as desired
• roasted seaweed squares, if desired

Miso Mustard Dressing

• 1 tablespoon white miso
• 1 tablespoon dijon or whole grain
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• squeeze of lemon
• pepper to taste

Set up for boiling the eggs by preparing a large bowl of cold water and ice. Set aside for when the eggs are done. Bring a pot of water with 3 inches of water up to to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat until the water is barely simmering. Using a slotted spoon, gently add your eggs and set a timer for 6 minutes for super soft and 6 minutes and 30 seconds for a yolk that’s just a tiny bit more set. When the time is up, use the slotted spoon to remove the eggs and immediately plunge into the ice water bath. Peel carefully.

Make the dressing: Whisk all the ingredients together. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Divide the quinoa amongst two bowls and top with eggs cut in half, avocado, tofu puffs, green onions and seaweed. Dress to taste with the miso mustard dressing.

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