More Adventurous

Today, I did something that I haven’t done in a long time. I listened to an entire album in my car. When you drive 8 hours in less than 24 hours, the regular dose of NPR doesn’t seem to cut it. Wondering what I listened to? More Adventurous by Rilo Kiley.

Isn’t it crazy how certain sensations, sounds, sights, or smells can totally transport you to another time in your life? While I reminisced about being a freshman in college, I started thinking about a blog that I should have written a week ago, but, alas, life got in the way.

But, last week, I did something more adventurous. I made tofu. I’m not against meat substitutes; however, since I’m not a HUGE meat-eater, I’d rather just have veggies most times than try to cook something I’m unfamiliar with. Also, the only time I’ve had tofu and actually enjoyed it is at Whole Foods (chicken fried tofu = heaven on earth).

Tofu Lettuce Wraps

I recently read a post about how to make the perfect tofu, so I was inspired to give it a try. Follow this link to Emily’s Blog for her great instructions.

First, I picked up the same tofu she used to ensure success: Nasoya’s Lite Firm.

Then, to rid the excess water from the block, I cut it into four slices, stuck it between towels, and placed some heavy reading material on top. (I wonder if Dr. Washick would be proud of how I make use of my textbooks now…)

While I waited about 15 minutes, I chopped up my veggies. You’re seeing

* Shredded carrots
* Beet greens (I saved these when I made my cupcakes! Just call me Ms. Resourceful)
* Zucchini
* Onion
* Garlic
* Crystallized ginger
* Red pepper flakes
* Black pepper

I started the onion in a little bit of sesame oil and then added the garlic, 6 pieces of chopped ginger, a sprinkle of the peppers and the rest of the veggies. And I also bought these for the first time…

I roughly chopped about 10 chestnuts and put them in the pan with the rest of the stir fry, and by then, the tofu was ready to be cut and put in a sizzling pan with Garlic Gold Oil. The trick to getting crispy tofu is letting it cook about 7 minutes per side without touching it.

I kept stirring my veggies to prevent stickage, and I added a few dashes of soy sauce about 10 minutes in.

And before I knew it, it was time to put a sauce together. I only had a vague idea of what should go into a lettuce wrap sauce, so I kinda guessed with my portions. If you try this recipe, I would slowly add soy sauce and sriracha so that you don’t make the mix too salty or hot.

I think I used

* 3 T sweet & sour sauce
* 2 T soy sauce
* 1/2 t garlic bits from my Garlic Gold jar
* 1/2 t sriracha

After I mixed the sauce together, I put the tofu in the wok with the veggies and poured the mixture over everything to give it a light coating.

I was super surprised at how tasty this ended up being. Two lettuce wraps were really filling, too. (This recipe made about 6 total though.)

That said, I have to confess that I didn’t fall in love with tofu. The wraps were great, but I’m not convinced that the tofu added anything other than some protein, and maybe that’s good enough? Don’t know.

If you’re a tofu lover, can you convert me?