Strawberry Balsamic Reduction Rocks
Last night I decided I wanted something sort of light for dinner after our super late lunch. I had been thinking about the Strawberry Balsamic Reduction Jason made the other day - knew I needed to get the recipe out there too - so I decided to go with that as a starting point.
I thought that I could make the reduction and take some of it, puree it with extra balsamic and use that as a marinade for tofu, then roll the tofu in ground almonds for Almond Crusted Strawberry Balsamic Tofu served over a spring mix with the Strawberry Balsamic Reduction drizzled on top.
Strawberry Balsamic Reduction
Ingredients:
1/3 cup (approximately) low-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 red onion, minced
1 cup frozen strawberries - thaw enough to chop finely
1/3 cup (approximately) balsamic vinegar
To taste: dried thyme, dried rosemary, sea salt, black pepper, red pepper, agave nectar
Directions:
In saucepan, saute onions in stock until begin to soften. Add in the remaining ingredients and allow to simmer on low until thickens to desired consistency, stirring frequently.
As I mentioned, I did use some of the reduction to make a marinade for the tofu. I just added in some additional balsamic vinegar and pureed. I poured it over the tofu. Then before baking, I rolled the tofu in ground almonds.
For the salad itself, I added some diced tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and goat cheese to the spring mix then topped with the tofu and reduction and a sprinkle of slivered almonds.
I'll admit that I was impatient and didn't allow the tofu to marinate as long as I should have. Additionally, I didn't let it bake as long as I should have. It was still very good, but could have been better had I been patient.
Weights
Today was a weight day for me. I had planned on shoulders, back, and abs. Once I got going, however, I ended up adding in a short, lighter leg workout as well. I started with a 10 minute elliptical warm up then hit the weights.
SS#1 3x8
Overhead shoulder press
Upright rows
SS#2 3x8
Lateral raise
Incline rear delt flye
GS 3x8
Underhand barbell row
Pullovers
Double-arm rows
Step-ups - 2x8
Alternating squat with front kick - 2x12
Single-leg squats - 2x8
I finished up with some ab work then a good stretch. Overall, it was a good weight day for me. I was honestly feeling a bit lazy about it when I first started. But then I hit my groove and it was all good. In fact, I was able to increase the weights for the underhand barbell row.
Post-Workout Errands & Pool Time (interrupted)
After the gym, I headed straight to the grocery store. It's funny, I don't really mind going to the grocery store after a workout, but would never go anywhere else in public.
I felt like it was manager special day at Kroger. So many goodies were marked down like a bag of red, orange, and yellow bell peppers for 2.49, cherry tomatoes for 1.49, mushrooms for 1.49. Win, Win, Win. Love it when I get lucky like that and save a little extra, plus my stash of coupons.
After unloading the groceries, I hit the pool for some relaxation time. Jason had gone out to ride his bike, so I just cranked up the tunes and dozed for a bit. Then the clouds rolled in bringing along thunder and lightening. Again, pool time interrupted. But, we desperately needed the rain and the drop in temps.
Once it started raining, the temps went from 110 to 85 degrees. Kind of made me want to go for a run! It felt downright chilly compared to the temps we've had. While I was glad for the rain, Heath was not a happy camper because of the thunder. Poor guy just gets so freaked out, and there's no consoling him.
Jason and I were supposed to go over to our friends' house for a cookout. But he was starving and needed to eat ASAP after his bike ride. And Bella's "parents" were going to be stopping by to pick her up. So, we needed to stay closer to the house. We ended up going out to our fave Irish Pub - Dugan's for a late lunch. Apparently late lunches are a theme for us on the weekends.
It was a nice, relaxing lunch though. We just took our time, talked, and relaxed. Right now I have laundry going and after Bella leaves us, the PJs are going on and I'm taking my butt to the couch. We have another movie we can watch, so we're just planning on being lazy on the last bit of our weekend.
Daily To-Enjoy List:
Last night I decided I wanted something sort of light for dinner after our super late lunch. I had been thinking about the Strawberry Balsamic Reduction Jason made the other day - knew I needed to get the recipe out there too - so I decided to go with that as a starting point.
I thought that I could make the reduction and take some of it, puree it with extra balsamic and use that as a marinade for tofu, then roll the tofu in ground almonds for Almond Crusted Strawberry Balsamic Tofu served over a spring mix with the Strawberry Balsamic Reduction drizzled on top.
Strawberry Balsamic Reduction
Ingredients:
1/3 cup (approximately) low-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 red onion, minced
1 cup frozen strawberries - thaw enough to chop finely
1/3 cup (approximately) balsamic vinegar
To taste: dried thyme, dried rosemary, sea salt, black pepper, red pepper, agave nectar
Directions:
In saucepan, saute onions in stock until begin to soften. Add in the remaining ingredients and allow to simmer on low until thickens to desired consistency, stirring frequently.
As I mentioned, I did use some of the reduction to make a marinade for the tofu. I just added in some additional balsamic vinegar and pureed. I poured it over the tofu. Then before baking, I rolled the tofu in ground almonds.
For the salad itself, I added some diced tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and goat cheese to the spring mix then topped with the tofu and reduction and a sprinkle of slivered almonds.
Weights
Today was a weight day for me. I had planned on shoulders, back, and abs. Once I got going, however, I ended up adding in a short, lighter leg workout as well. I started with a 10 minute elliptical warm up then hit the weights.
SS#1 3x8
Overhead shoulder press
Upright rows
SS#2 3x8
Lateral raise
Incline rear delt flye
GS 3x8
Underhand barbell row
Pullovers
Double-arm rows
Step-ups - 2x8
Alternating squat with front kick - 2x12
Single-leg squats - 2x8
I finished up with some ab work then a good stretch. Overall, it was a good weight day for me. I was honestly feeling a bit lazy about it when I first started. But then I hit my groove and it was all good. In fact, I was able to increase the weights for the underhand barbell row.
Post-Workout Errands & Pool Time (interrupted)
After the gym, I headed straight to the grocery store. It's funny, I don't really mind going to the grocery store after a workout, but would never go anywhere else in public.
I felt like it was manager special day at Kroger. So many goodies were marked down like a bag of red, orange, and yellow bell peppers for 2.49, cherry tomatoes for 1.49, mushrooms for 1.49. Win, Win, Win. Love it when I get lucky like that and save a little extra, plus my stash of coupons.
After unloading the groceries, I hit the pool for some relaxation time. Jason had gone out to ride his bike, so I just cranked up the tunes and dozed for a bit. Then the clouds rolled in bringing along thunder and lightening. Again, pool time interrupted. But, we desperately needed the rain and the drop in temps.
Once it started raining, the temps went from 110 to 85 degrees. Kind of made me want to go for a run! It felt downright chilly compared to the temps we've had. While I was glad for the rain, Heath was not a happy camper because of the thunder. Poor guy just gets so freaked out, and there's no consoling him.
Jason and I were supposed to go over to our friends' house for a cookout. But he was starving and needed to eat ASAP after his bike ride. And Bella's "parents" were going to be stopping by to pick her up. So, we needed to stay closer to the house. We ended up going out to our fave Irish Pub - Dugan's for a late lunch. Apparently late lunches are a theme for us on the weekends.
It was a nice, relaxing lunch though. We just took our time, talked, and relaxed. Right now I have laundry going and after Bella leaves us, the PJs are going on and I'm taking my butt to the couch. We have another movie we can watch, so we're just planning on being lazy on the last bit of our weekend.
Daily To-Enjoy List:
- Weights
- Pool time
- Cookout with friends (this got changed)
- Couch time
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