Pea Sprouts

Tofu Udon Noodles

This is from DigthisChick. I have made them several times and can say this is a yummy easy dish. Especially if you frequent the asian grocery store like I do. You dont even have to use tofu or chicken. I also add whatever veggies I want. And I use Skippy, or actually Kroger brand.

:: Tofu Peanut Udon Noodles ::


- a few tablespoons canola oil
- tofu*, chopped in smallish cubes (3/4 inch)
- udon or soba noodles
- two carrots, julienned or chopped
- one broccoli stalk, crown coarsely chopped and stem finely chopped
- 1/2 cup peanut butter (again, not talking skippy. We use Maranatha.)
- a few tablespoons water
- soy sauce
- bunch green onions, chopped
- peanuts, chopped
Cut tofu slab in half length-wise and press water out. I use a clean dish towel placed under the tofu and then folded over the top and a few cookbooks on top to weight it down and squeeze out water. Let it sit for 10-30 minutes or really any amount of time will help. Cook noodles and set aside. Heat oil in skillet on high for a minute. Add tofu and cook until browned on all sides, flipping every five minutes. Mix peanut butter and water with a fork until it is liquidy and uniform, like the consistency of thick yogurt. Add carrots, broccoli to tofu. Stir frequently for a few minutes until veggies are bright. Add peanut butter water mixture. Add a bit more water if necessary. Toss. Turn off heat. Quickly add soy sauce and noodles and toss until just mixed. Don't over stir. Garnish with green onion and peanuts. It's also great with some kick.

Broomball

That there is an actual frozen pond. I believe it was my first time ever stepping foot on one.





It was 14 degrees. I still cant believe I live in Michigan.

What would Mr. LaPorta say?

Today my carpool buddy took Meg and her daughter to gymnastics, then to her house for lunch then to preschool. Nice huh? Pickup time was 3:15 and around 3:40 I started wondering why she hadn't brought her home yet. I figured she took her back to her house to play a while longer but wondered why she hadn't called. I went back to doing schoolwork and considering dinner options. Then I got a phone call from the preschool. I was half an hour late to pick up! It was my turn to pick up and I spaced out!! About 10 seconds elapsed while I yanked Mere from her crib and stuffed her into a coat, no boots and into her carseat. When I got there the lights were off, the teacher was gone and there was one parent there waiting. I felt like a gigantic pile of poop and many many memories of my childhood flashed before my eyes.


**As an aside, I couldnt find Mad's daisy vest anywheres today and just said heck with it, Meg is probably using it for jammies or something ( although she is sleeping in a swimsuit lately). When I picked Mad up from Daisies she was wearing it, apparently we left it at school two weeks ago and someone turned it into the Daisy leader. Geez.

Yes

Stir Fried Pea Shoots

Ingredients

• 8 cups or about 1 lb. pea sprouts
• 8 cloves garlic
• 3 Tbs. peanut oil
• 1/2 – 1 tsp. sea salt, to taste
• 1/2 – 1 tsp. sugar, to taste
• 1 – 2 Tbs. water – only as needed

Heat a wok until the surface is smoking hot. Swirl in the oil to coat the wok surface and allow to heat up until it is smoking. Stir in the garlic, followed a few seconds later with the sprouts. Stir-fry vigorously to wilt the pea sprouts evenly and keep them from burning. When a large portion of the sprouts has begun to wilt, sprinkle in the sea salt. Continue to stir-fry. If your wok appears too hot and may burn the sprouts, sprinkle in a little water to help cook. Add a little sugar and stir-fry the sprouts until all of them are wilted and cooked. Pea sprouts wilt down quite a bit – to about 1/4 to 1/3 of its original mass.

Recipe Fail

I made this last night- it was NOT good. I made the pasta just as suggested- 1/8 inch think and it was way too thick and the pieces were too big.

Fazzoletti (Pasta Handkerchiefs) With Chunky Pesto

Time: At least 1 hour

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed

2 whole eggs

3 egg yolks

2 cups loosely packed basil leaves, rinsed and dried

1/2 clove garlic, peeled, or more to taste

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or more as desired

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

Pepper.

1. Pulse flour and salt in a food processor once or twice. Add the eggs and yolks, and turn the machine on. Process just until a ball begins to form, about 30 seconds. Add a few drops of water if the dough is dry and grainy; add a tablespoon of flour if the dough sticks to the side of the bowl. Turn the dough out of the food processor, sprinkle it with a little flour, cover it with plastic or a cloth, and let it rest for about 30 minutes. (At this point, you may refrigerate the dough, wrapped in plastic, until you’re ready to roll it out, for up to 24 hours.)

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine the basil with a pinch of salt, the garlic and about half the oil. Process, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container if necessary, and adding the rest of the oil gradually. Add the nuts and cheese, and pulse a few times. The pesto should be well combined but still chunky.

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Divide the dough in half. Turn one half of the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle no thicker than 1/4 inch and ideally closer to 1/8 inch, adding additional flour sparingly as necessary. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

4. Cut into squares no larger than 4 inches across. Drop the squares into the water and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, reserving a little of the cooking water. Toss the handkerchiefs with the pesto, some salt and pepper, and a spoonful of cooking water, if necessary, to thin the pesto. Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan.

Yield: 4 servings.

I'm too old for this shit

The above is my favorite quote of 2010, courtesy of a 60 year old Waffle House waitress.

I say it now because I am painting the kitchen ceiling. This has to be one of the worst jobs on earth. I am going to have serious torticollis ( look that one up Sarah), I can barely hold my arms up and my hair and face are covered with paint. The ceiling looks decent though.