Spicy Vegan Lentil Mabo Tofu
Spicy Vegan Lentil Mabo Tofu

Hello everybody, I hope you’re having an incredible day today. Today, I’m gonna show you how to make a distinctive dish, spicy vegan lentil mabo tofu. One of my favorites. For mine, I will make it a bit unique. This will be really delicious.

Spicy Vegan Lentil Mabo Tofu is one of the most favored of current trending foods in the world. It’s easy, it is quick, it tastes yummy. It is enjoyed by millions every day. They’re nice and they look wonderful. Spicy Vegan Lentil Mabo Tofu is something that I have loved my whole life.

To get started with this particular recipe, we have to prepare a few components. You can cook spicy vegan lentil mabo tofu using 14 ingredients and 7 steps. Here is how you can achieve it.

The ingredients needed to make Spicy Vegan Lentil Mabo Tofu:
  1. Prepare 100 g lentils, soaked overnight
  2. Take 1 block silk or soft tofu, 350-400 g
  3. Make ready 3 cloves garlic
  4. Get 1 chunk fresh ginger
  5. Prepare 1 spring or green onion, white part
  6. Take 1 Tbsp Chinese fermented black beans
  7. Prepare 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, ground
  8. Make ready 1-2 tsp douban jiang (spicy chili bean paste)
  9. Take 1 Tbsp sesame oil (or vegetable oil)
  10. Make ready 1/2 cup vegetable or kombu stock
  11. Prepare 2 tsp potato starch
  12. Make ready 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  13. Take 1 tsp sugar
  14. Take Chopped scallions to garnish
Steps to make Spicy Vegan Lentil Mabo Tofu:
  1. Prep all the ingredients beforehand so you can work quickly while stir-frying (don't forget to soak your lentils for 6-8 hours!). Mince the garlic, green onion and fermented black beans. Grate the ginger and lightly grind the Sichuan peppercorns.
  2. In a large frying pan or wok, heat the sesame oil and fry the ginger, garlic and spring onion until fragrant. Add the fermented black beans and Sichuan peppercorns and fry for about 1 minute, stirring.
  3. Add the douban jiang/spicy chili bean paste and fry briefly while mixing it into the other ingredients.
  4. Add the soaked and drained lentils, then pour in enough water to just cover everything. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on medium low for about 15 minutes until the lentils are soft.
  5. While the lentils are cooking, mix 1/2 cup stock with 2 tsp potato starch, 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
  6. Once the lentils are soft, cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes and add it into the pan. Gently toss to mix but avoid stirring or the tofu may fall apart.
  7. Give the stock mix from step 5 a stir and pour it over the lentils and tofu. Bring to a boil and simmer for a couple minutes until the sauce has thickened a bit. Garnish with chopped scallions and serve.

How to Boost Your Mood with Food

Most of us have been trained to think that comfort foods are not good and must be avoided. However, if your comfort food is candy or junk food this is true. Otherwise, comfort foods could be really nutritious and good for you. There are a number of foods that really can boost your moods when you eat them. If you are feeling a little bit down and you need a happiness pick me up, try a few of these.

Eggs, you may be surprised to learn, are wonderful at fighting depression. Just make sure that you do not toss the yolk. The yolk is the part of the egg that is the most important in terms of helping you cheer up. Eggs, the yolks particularly, are high in B vitamins. These B vitamins are wonderful for helping to improve your mood. This is because they help your neural transmitters–the parts of your brain that control your mood–work better. Try consuming a couple of eggs to feel better!

Make a trail mix out of seeds and/or nuts. Your mood can be raised by consuming peanuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc. This is possible since these foods are high in magnesium which promotes serotonin production. Serotonin is referred to as the “feel good” chemical and it tells your brain how you should be feeling day in and day out. The higher your levels of serotonin, the happier you are going to feel. Nuts, in addition to raising your mood, can be a superb source of protein.

Cold water fish are excellent if you are wanting to feel better. Salmon, herring, tuna, mackerel, trout, and so on, they’re all loaded with omega-3 fatty acids and DHA. These are two substances that increase the quality and function of the grey matter in your brain. It’s true: eating a tuna fish sandwich can seriously boost your mood.

It’s not hard to drive away your bad mood when you eat grains. Millet, quinoa, barley, etc are terrific at helping you feel happier. These foods can help you feel full for longer too, helping you feel better. Feeling hungry can truly bring you down! These grains can improve your mood since it’s easy for your body to digest them. You digest these foods more quickly than other things which can help promote your blood sugar levels, which, in turn, helps make you feel better, mood wise.

Your mood could really be helped by green tea. You were sure it had to be mentioned in this article, right? Green tea is loaded with a specific amino acid referred to as L-theanine. Studies show that this particular amino acid can actually induce brain waves. This helps focus your mental energy while simultaneously making the rest of your body more relaxed. You were already aware that green tea could help you become better. And now you know green tea can help you be happier too!

Now you know that junk food isn’t necessarily what you need to eat when you are wanting to help your moods get better. Go with these hints instead!