Monday, February 2, 2009

Tennessee and some coconut curry tofu

Headed out to Tennessee and we decided to take the Coyote, aka the little white '95 Ranger Tavo traded his motorcycle for. I adore the Coyote, as it reminds my of my old "Honolulu Blue" (same color as the Lions jerseys) Ranger that finally expired after 8 cross country trips and 250,000+ miles. Who says a Ford can't last as long as a Toyota??
This sign says, "Peach and Pecan Pies" Can you believe they were closed on Sunday??
And right next to the border, someone is flying the old Georgia flag. Stars and bars...


Skyline of the 'Noog (Chattanooga, for those less informed!)

Cool stuff by the aquarium and riverfront
Tavo came down with a case of elephantiasis AND two left feet. Luckily he recovered.
This delicious concoction was called "the Nun"
ooh! it's filled with chocolate mousse type deliciousness!!
A certain Tavo thinks I will steal his Nun....
(I did!) And then I made him drive through a dusty tunnel...
and we came home to make lunches :) Here is my nicely prepped broccoli. Do you guys use the stems? I just peel them and throw them in. Why not?
Tofu--okay kids, this is the secret. Freeze your tofu, then you can thaw it while you are at work. At night, it squeezes WAY easier than fresh tofu. Fry on med high heat for about 5 minutes on each side. Then dump them in your marinade. If you marinade them first, your tofu will likely burn during the frying process. The benefit of frying at high heat is a crispy exterior and a delicious, spongy interior full of said marinade...
"Green" rice--minced cilantro, partial can of coconut juice and a bouillon cube with the allotted amount of water.
Basic coconut curry stir fry--after your tofu is cooked, push to the side and crank it up to high heat. Add onions and peppers, then carrots and garlic. Then I usually add my spices--for this, its really easiest to just add a couple spoonfuls of that Thai chili paste they sell in the Asian section of your grocery store. Finally add your broccoli and toss a cookie sheet on top to steam it a bit while still stir frying at hot heat. 5-6 minutes from when the first onion was added and all your vegetables should be crisp tender. Turn off the heat, add coconut milk, 1/2 cup broth, and fish sauce if so desired. Stir and throw the cookie sheet back on it until the rice is done.
oh yeah--you know you want some sriracha!
lunches!
and I realized there are no pictures of me in this post, so here's a random.

I like really, really crusty bread. Fresh from the oven!

13 comments:

The Blonde Duck said...

I think it's cute you name your cars!

Christo Gonzales said...

road trip = well done! tofu = well done! narration = well done!

Anette said...

I do the same with the steams of the broccoli! Sometimes they are almost the best part!! Those lunch boxes look mighty good!

tommie said...

That chocolate nun looks amazing!

Then I got to the coconut curry. While I can't eat tofu, I bet I could make this with chicken.

buffalodick said...

Chatanooga.. reminds of an old joke involving a midget, a tattoo, and house of ill repute..

snowelf said...

LOL! I once took a road trip to Nashville and I made a CD with Arrested Development too! I love that song! :)

And that dish looked AWESOME! I've never had tofu before, but maybe someday. :)

A Game of Horseshoes!!

--snow

Maggie said...

I love curried tofu but THAT RICE! That rice looks really good!

Randomly I had the best Indian food in Chattanooga and it was right off the freeway. I have to figure out the name for the next time we head down south.

Darius T. Williams said...

I tear up the stems too - lol. Totally!

Selba said...

freeze the tofu? Hahaha.. that's new to me!

The dish looks yummy!

jesse said...

You look like you're hating that bread!! Hahaha! Hmm, thanks for the tip with the tofu... I'll try it out next time I cook it...

tavolini said...

Blonde Duck--Girl, I even name my slippers! Everything feels more special with a name ;)

Doggy--much obliged!

Anette--I concur! Especially in broccoli rice casserole, I think the stems hold their crunch!

Tommie--it's one of Tavo's faves made with chicken. Or shrimp. Or scallops..or even tofu--basically that thai paste and coconut milk together is gold. Add whatever you want!

Buffalo!!! LOL!!! I adore houses of ill repute--you need to finish this story!!!

Snow--Arrested Development is great! We saw them play recently at Turner Field after a Braves game. That sauce is EASY--you can use it with pretty much any stir fry.

Maggie--I made it a bit too wet, think I need to reduce the water. Or just substitute broth and coconut milk altogether. It IS good.

Darius--a man after my own broccoli flavored heart :) I will use ALL parts of the broccoli! It's just so darn good!!

Selba--it gives it a completely different texture! Spongy-like. Hope you dig it :)

Jesse--I will never, ever, EVER hate on some bread ;) I am the bread cowboy. The gangster of bread love. Some people call me Maurice, cause I speak on the pompatus of bread.

pinknest said...

haha, i'm sure "the nun" cured that case of elephantiasis right up.

Chef E said...

Ditto on Dog's comment...you two are so cute, or should I give 'lini (women) more credit for your creative efforts *wink*