Thanksgiving Feast Without Fear

Thanksgiving dinner is traditional in America, and folks typically tend to overdo it. I know, I used to do so, too. It really wasn't the turkey - it was all the goodies around it: the stuffing, the sweet potatoes, the rolls with butter, the pecan pie, and whatever Aunt Gertrude and Uncle Bob brought to the party. 

Then I came to my senses. Whether I was cooking or feasting at someone else's home, a moment's pleasure simply wasn't worth the misery of worrying about my expanded waistline! Because it really didn't stop at "The Meal." Gorging just kept on going through the weekend with leftovers, and through the next week, then looking forward to the office Christmas party, and Christmas dinner at my in-laws', and it all just seemed for naught. 

What's the point? 

I did come to my senses. I discovered that eating well did not mean deprivation; it did not mean "rabbit food"; it did not mean going hungry and white knuckling it while everyone around me stuffed their faces with "goodies." I, too, could have "goodies," if I tweaked them a tad and focused on my health instead of the dopamine I craved. 

I never especially loved turkey. Oh, to be sure, I've had some delicious turkey in my time, but it never held a candle to other things I loved even more. This year, our Thanksgiving was spent hiking in a park. It was officially closed for the holiday, and thus was devoid of people, except for the most ardent nature lovers. We followed a trail deep into the woods, listening to the rustling breeze and song birds in the branches, feeling the soft air on our bodies as the sun-dappled dirt road crunched under our feet. The silence was penetrating and deep. 

Later, we found a Chinese restaurant that was so crowded, we didn't get served! So home we went to forage our fridge. This is what we concocted:

In the foreground is tofu cooked with white navy beans and potatoes, Indian style, with curry, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, garlic, and more; above it to the right are steamed broccoli to be dipped in the peanut butter sauce mixed with oyster sauce and a dash of Tamari; to the right and a bit off the image are steamed asparagus topped with toasted almonds and dried bonito flakes.