Cubed Tofu and Beet Salad aka "Pink Fufu"

This throw together salad is easy - Chop. Chop. Drizzle. Drizzle. Marinate if you wish!

 

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For a more developed flavor, marinate the beets and tofu in the vinegar for a couple hours in the fridge.

This is great to bring on picnics. I made it one evening for a girls night in and I've craved it almost every night since.

Yummy for toddlers too - plus, it turns pink! My toddler calls this "pink fufu" - she loves her "fufu."

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I've been buying the organic Love Beets from Costco this summer and they are wonderfully easy to add extra nutrients and antioxidants to any dish. They make this dish a breeze to prepare all for a wonderfully doable price. If you are in need of another beet recipe, try my red velvet cake smoothie.

The directions are very simple, all detailed in the pictures below!

Tofu and Beet Salad
1 package extra-firm or firm organic Tofu ( I used Wildwood)
4 beets, steamed, cooled and peeled (love the organic Love Beets now sold by Costco - this makes it even easier to prepare)
3 TB Extra Virgin Olive oil
2 TB Seasoned Rice vinegar
Fresh ground black pepper and chunky sea salt

Fresh Thyme (totally optional but a plus for antioxidants - keep in mind, some kids may not like this flavor)

1. Chop the tofu lengthwise 3 times and then across 3 times. Then through the tofu like you are slicing a sandwich bun. Cut large cubes down into preferable size.
2. Chop the beets into 1/2" chunks (or smaller if feeding children).
3. Drizzle with olive oil, rice vinegar, salt, pepper and thyme if you wish. Enjoy!

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Which sounds better: Tofu and Beet or Beet and Tofu?

Looking for more easy summer salads?
Try last year's Refreshing Garbanzo Bean Salad

and Zesty Red Quinoa Salad with Mango and Cucumber

and this year's Cold Brown Rice and Garbanzo Bean Pesto Salad

Red Velvet Cake Smoothie (vegan, dairy and gluten free)

Packed with antioxidant powerhouses - beets, cocoa, and raspberries. This smoothie will rock your socks. And it's smoother than any charming Italian.

 

 

If you've tried my Carrot Cake Smoothie (comes with rave reviews) or even my Green Vanilla Smoothie, then you'll love this sweet vegetable and fruit smoothie.

Did you know my father's side of my family claims they brought back the recipe for red velvet cake from Italy? We're not even Italian! They just lived there a couple years. So this recipe is sort of a piece of my heritage, just with my "blended" spin on it!

Red Velvet Cake Smoothie
1 1/4 cup milk of choice (plain or vanilla but unsweetened - I used almond)
2 beets, steamed and peeked
1 cup raspberries
1/2 banana
3-4 TB cocoa powder (use raw cacao for even greater antioxidants)
2 Dates
1 big scoop nut butter + vanilla extract or 1 scoop vanilla protein powder of choice

1. Blend all ingredients in high-speed blender until completely incorporated.

Have you ever noticed how paper straws, although fantastically beautiful, are really quite awful to sip out of for a long time (longer than five minutes)? They get all soggy and limp. It affects the experience, going from drinking delicious smoothie to slobbering all over wet paper to slurp up a miniscule amount of smoothie (the straws now boasting a slight wet-cement flavor).

And they are almost worth it because they are so darn cute. Almost...

I saw these Stainless Steel Drink Straws (4)  on sale for $5.89 (+$2.99 shipping). They have pretty good reviews and come with a straw cleaner (looks similar to a pipe cleaner). I ordered them for my new kitchen! So excited! I'll let you know how well they work!

Question of the Day:
Have you ever used a paper straw? Was the cuteness worth the limp, ineffective, straw?