A Special Package

Ahh.  Not much to say here, except my lovely gift to myself came in today!  A digital camera!!!  Not all that impressive, but it's my first one, and I am so pleased with it.  Not to mention it was on a great sale... Anyway, if I can just get the pictures to download, they will be posted asap, for sure.  It's always nice to get new things, especially since I have been wanting a camera for a couple years now.
Update: I got a freakin' awesome case for it, too!  They're both blue, and they match perfectly.  Watch out food, prepare to be photogenic-ified.

And the recipe for today is something that I got at a restaurant a few weeks ago, and was mightly impressed.  And yet, my version tasted nothing like their's.  But it still turned out oh so pretty, and really yummy!  I am starting to get really fond of the texture of frozen tofu, too.  I have actually only learned of it recently, which is quite sad.  It's so easy to do- just plan ahead a day or so.

Oh, and these straw mushrooms- my aunt told me about them.  I got a can, and it had been sitting around for a while.  This is the first time I have tried them.  They don't have much flavour, but I love the texture- it's really unique.  You should be able to find them easily in the asian section, or at an asian market, in a can.

General Tso’s Tofu

4 servings

Ingredients

• 12 oz tofu, frozen, thawed, and pressed, and cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1 onion, sliced thick
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 6 scallions, cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1 carrot, coined
• 1 can straw mushrooms
• 3.5 oz cooked rice noodles

Sauce

• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tsp chili garlic paste (or more, to taste)
• ½ tbsp corn starch
• Veggie broth, as needed

Preparation

1. Mix together sauce ingredients, except broth.
2. Heat a wok over high heat. Add the onion and carrot, stir fry for two minutes, and add broccoli. After two more minutes, add bell pepper and mushrooms. After two more, add tofu and sauce, heat for a bit, and then add the noodles. Cook until heated through, adding broth or soy sauce as needed, and eat with chopsticks (of course).