And on the Seventh Day...

Not only did I rest but, I got nothing much at all accomplished.Today was my day to  do cement work on the cabin foundation, go to the farmer's market at the Botanical Gardens, make Sandy's dill pickles and then go swimming at Devil's Den State Park. Instead, I got up and had coffee, went back to bed, got up and  had lunch and then took a nap. If I stay awake until nine tonight, I will be surprised.The temperature is once again in the hundred degree range and the last thing I want to do is cook. But surprisingly, all this heavy duty laying around has made me hungry.

I am lucky to have an extensive cookbook collection. To me browsing through cookbooks is every bit as fun as cooking. And if you love to cook, most likely you have a few old standbys. This is one of my favorites for when I want something healthy and delicious but don't want to spend a lot of the time in the kitchen. I adapted it from a pork lo mein recipe from Better Homes and Gardens' Fresh and Simple 20 Minute Suppers. Being vegetarian I obviously had to nix the pork and I spiced it up a bit with minced fresh garlic and ginger. I did not have lo mein noodles in the pantry so I substituted spaghetti which worked very nicely. It is substantial and tasty but not too heavy for a hot summer night!

Shanghai Tofu Lo Mein

Two dinner servings and ready in less than 20 minutes

8 ounces spaghetti or lo mein cooked until al dente. Rinse in cold water, drain and set aside
8 ounces extra firm tofu, pressed,drained and cubed. Saute in olive oil over high heat until browned. Set aside
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ginger root, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 cups bok choy, sliced
3/4 cup No Chicken Broth
1/4 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 11 ounce can mandarin orange segments, drained

In a  large skillet or wok over high heat, saute the bok choy in the olive oil until crisp tender, about three minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for a minute or so until fragrant. Add the tofu and cook for a minute until heated through. Add the broth,orange juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Stir in the cooked spaghetti and heat for a minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in the orange sections and grab your chopsticks. Yum!

A Super! Bowl

Today's the big day. Dallas gets to shine. It's the Packers against the Steelers. Big doings, lot's of fans, lot's of money. Think tailgate parties and take out food. Tacos, wings, barbecue, homemade goodies made with breakfast sausage and melted Velveeta, chili, frito pie,onion dip, Rice Krispie treats and Chinese takeout. But not here in Northwest Arkansas. I am living out in the country and am not much of a football fan anyway. Actually, not a fan at all. But I do love Chinese takeout and tonight will make my own.

There is nothing authentically Chinese about this recipe. It is not even really much of a recipe. The ingredients are fluid depending on what you have on hand. It is great with bok choy but only spinach was in the fridge. It calls for lo mein noodles but only spaghetti is in the cupboard. It did not call for scallions and bell pepper but I had some leftover from last night's cajun red beans and rice. The one thing for sure about this dish is that it is fast, easy and nutritious. You could prep it between those great Super Bowl commercials and throw it together at half time. Have all your ingredients prepared and throw it together at the last minute.Easy breezy!








"Pork Free Lo Mein"

• 12 ounces lo mein or angel hair, cooked al dente, drained and rinsed
• 1 package extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cubed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups bok choy, sliced
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable stock or No Chicken stock
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 or 2 cans mandarin orange sections, drained
  

Cook noodles until al dente, drain, rinse in cold water and set aside. Dredge your tofu in corn starch or flour and saute in the olive oil until browned on all sides over medium-high heat, add bok choy and stir fry until wilted.

Add the broth, orange juice, sesame oil and red pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in the cooked noodles and cook for a minute or two. Stir in the orange sections.



Now, how easy was that? Go Chivas!