General Tso’s Tofu

Back when I ate meat my go-to Chinese takeout order was General Tso’s. I used to crave for it for a few years after going vegetarian and came up with an alternative using tofu.

Ingredients

  • Extra Firm Tofu
  • Broccoli
  • 1 Carrots
  • 2 Large Garlic Gloves
  • General Tso Stir Fry Sauce
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic Powder
  • Cornstarch
  • Olive or Canola Oil

4 servings

STEPS

  1. Remove excess water from tofu using paper towels or clean reusable dish towels
  2. Place tofu between towels and press gently (you may have to do this a few times until excess moisture is gone)
  3. Chop broccoli into florets, carrots and garlic
  4. Cut dried tofu into cubes
  5. In small bowl or ziplock bag add a cup of cornstarch, salt and pepper
  6. Coat tofu cubes with cornstarch mix
  7. Use a large pan filled with enough oil to fry tofu cubes
  8. Fry until browned on all sides
  9. Place fried tofu cubes on plate with towels to drain excess oil
  10. Grab a sauté pan to mix everything
  11. Add a small amount of 1 teaspoon of oil to pan + chopped garlic on medium heat
  12. Add broccoli florets, chopped carrots and tofu cubes
  13. Pour in General Tso Stir Fry Sauce
  14. Season with pepper, garlic powder and salt to your liking!

Zesty Lemon Cannellini Bean Salad

I don’t think I ever considered buying cannellini beans prior to seeing this delicious salad idea on my friend’s IG story. I looked them up and to my surprise they are full of protein, great source of fiber, magnesium, and iron. Ah-mazing and thank you, friend!

It’s really simple, refreshing and doesn’t require a stove or too much of your time.

5-6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 Cucumber
  • 1 Red Pepper
  • 1 Firm Tomato
  • 1 Red Onion
  • Can of Cannellini Beans
  • 1 Table Spoon of Olive Oil
  • Lemon Wedge or Lemon Juice
  • Sea Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic Powder

STEPS

  1. Grab a bowl and chopping board!
  2. Chop cucumber, red pepper, tomato, and red onion to your liking
  3. Drain cannellini beans of liquids
  4. Add chopped items and beans to bowl
  5. Squeeze fresh lemon wedge or 1 tablespoon of lemon juice over beans and vegetables
  6. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  7. Add sea salt, pepper and garlic powder
  8. Mix and serve!

Vegan Italian Stuffed Peppers

The key to being consistent with any lifestyle change is to keep it fresh and exciting, right? Hmm, actually that can apply to anything in life. Anyways, one night I turned to Twitter and asked for vegan/vegetarian dinner suggestions because I was over eating my routined meals.

A friend of mine shared this recipe they saw on Parsnips & Peppers and I was immediately intrigued when I saw it was stuffed peppers. Yum!

This meal is full of taste, nutrients, loaded with fiber, and only approximately 308 calories per serving (2 halves).

See recipe here: https://www.parsnipsandpastries.com/vegan-italian-stuffed-peppers-2/

Watch Schoolboy Q’s ‘By Any Means: Part (1)’ Video

Schoolboy Q takes it back to Los Angeles on 51st and Hoover Street for the visuals to “By Any Means.” The track is his second track off his forthcoming Blank Face LP which is set to drop July 8th. Schoolboy Q fans can officially put Oxymoron down. Thank you, TDE! It’s only been two years, but we been itching.

You can expect 17 tracks featuring artists such as Jadakiss, E-40, Justin Skye, Miguel, Anderson.Paak and more (tracklist below).

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Blank Face LP Tracklist

 

Kanye West Video Inspires Children’s Book

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According to The Fader, Zak Tebbal, an enterprising graphing designer has transforming West’s “Bound 2” music video into a children’s book.

Tebbal feels Kanye is an influential person and has reached many people. The only audience he has not targeted yet is toddlers and Tebbal wants to open that possibility.

“Kanye was the coolest kid in town. And Kim was the cutest chick around.” Literally though, a chick! Tebbal illustrates Kim as a baby chicken. Adorable!

Other chicks distract the main character, Kanye, Kim gets upset and decides to runaway. This is where Kanye realizes that one good chick is worth a thousand chickens and goes on a search for his beloved Kim.

While this is a dope idea, one can definitely disagree with the inspiration being that song and music video is the explicit.

Many children’s books and tales have been inspired by dark twisted fantasies. Huffington Post’s The True Stories Behind Classic Fairy Tales, states that many fairy tales, and the legends behind them, are actually watered-down versions of uncomfortable historical events. These darker stories might be too terrifying for today’s little lambkins, as well as some adults.

If Tebbal’s senior design thesis Kanye inspired book hit the stores tomorrow, would you consider reading this to your toddler?

Here’s the “Bound 2” music video featuring Kim Kardashian-West, if you forgot the original visuals.

New Vince Staples ‘Senorita’ Video

The Long Beach based rapper releases a visual, directed by Ian Pons Jewell, for his

new song “Señorita.” The tone is set with a man who has enormous Cali body art,

holding what appears to be a bible with the letters V and S on the cover (obviously

for Vince Staples). The man mouths the lyrics to the hook sampled from Future’s

“Covered N Money” song, as Vince walks by his odd neighbors unbothered. The man

with tattoos leads a small group that gets smaller the further he walks. It’s not clear

where he’s leading everyone, but everyone is being shot down from the weapons

above.

Rappers are bringing our issues to light and using their voice through music as

instruments. Ian and Vince show that the violence created among each other

within communities serves as entertainment for others. The reality of this video is

sad— from the pimp, to the rednecks grilling in their yard, to the half-naked women!

Both are geniuses for using their imagination to show what America is and how

violence is viewed.

This may be one of those videos that need multiple views to fully understand

what Vince and Ian is trying to portray. The real twist is at the end, so watch closely!

Vince’s first album, Summertime ‘06, is set to release June 30th.

The Notorious B.I.G. Still Lives On Through His Music

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Today marks the 18th anniversary of Notorious B.I.G.’s death. I can only wonder where Biggie would be, musically, if he were still alive today.