We had SOOOO much fun last night, and I want to tell you all about it, but first I'm going to show you what a frrrreeaaak I've become with my new camera. I am seriously driving everyone crazy, speshallie the pets! So here are some really random photos I think came out really terrific, if I do say so, myself!:
My oldest cat, Sexy Jack
And now, the big, bad dawg:
I dig this next photo--his fur looks all swirley-like!
Poor, tired Big Daddy--I woke him up!
This is the necklace I've been rockin' lately--my friend Cindy at Hidden Pond Farm made the "Farmgirl Sass" charm for me:
Here's my fridge, with the new baking sheet/pantry cabinets we had built around it (see, I TOLD you these were random photos!)
So last night, my girlfriend Patty offered to come over and cook us a vegetarian dinner! Of course, I said, "SIGN ME UP"! I made sure the table was set for the event:
Patty, my editor Lisa and pesky little neighbor Sharon (the blond with the terrified look on her face--she's going to KILL me!), Big Daddy and I enjoyed nice and stiff gin and tonics before dinner:
Hee Hee! Here it is.......wait for it.....ta DA!!!:
Big Daddy and Lisa, up to no good, as usual:
Patty insisted we start cooking, rather than just drinking our suppahs--what a killjoy! But really, she had everything prepared for this Asparagus Tofu Noodle Stir Fry recipe, kindly given to her from our friend Sue (thus, the title of this post: Patty Sue). Here we are, chopping and stir-frying away:
Oh yum, I wish you could have tasted this dinner--heavenly! The ginger and sesame and spicy red chili pepper flakes were perfect. We never even missed the meat!
After our wonderful dinner, Big Daddy got tired of being the only man around (too much girl talk for him), and headed for bed. He absolutely couldn't take any more:
What a great evening--thank you, Patty! Here's the recipe:
PATTY SUE'S ASPARAGUS TOFU NOODLE STIR FRY
Serves 4
(note: you can prepare the marinade, cook the noodles and cut the vegetables up to a day in advance--then the actual stir-fry takes only 15 minutes or less)
8 scallions, minced
2 medium sized cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tblsp. minced fresh ginger root
2 tblsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tblsp. sesame oil
3 tblsp. water
3 tsp. brown or granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. soft tofu, cut in small dice
5 to 6 oz. uncooked vermicelli or linguine
1 1/2 tblsp. cornstarch
2 tblsp. oil
1 lb. slim asparagus, tough bottoms removed, and tops cut diagonally at 1 inch intervals
12 to 15 fresh mushrooms, sliced or quartered
3 tblsp.toasted sesame seeds, for the topping
In a small bowl combine scallions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, red pepper, lemon juice, sesame oil, water, sugar and salt. Stir in the tofu. Cover and set aside. Let stand for at least 15 minutes. Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling water until al dente. Drain, and immediately rinse under cold water. Drain again. Place the cornstarch in a small bowl. Add about 1 cup of the liquid from the marinade, and whisk until smooth. Return this mixture to the marinade, leaving the whisk in the bowl. Place a wok over medium heat and wait a minute or two. Add 2 tblsp. oil, and wait 1 more minute. Then turn up the heat and add the asparagus and mushrooms. Stir fry for several minutes until the asparagus is just tender. Add the drained noodles and stir fry for about 3 more minutes, keeping the heat high. Whisk the marinade from the bottom of the bowl, and pour the entire mixture into the wok. Continue to stir fry for 5 to 8 minutes more, or until everything is well coated and the sauce thickens. Serve immediately topped with sesame seeds.
TOP 3 THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR TODAY:
1. I'm grateful I have such sweet and fun friends--what is better than laughing and eating on a Friday night with your BFFs?
2. I'm grateful that our wild winter storm last night wasn't worse--no trees down, at least in our yard!
3. I'm grateful that the power came back on at 5a.m.--mornings are not pretty without my Starbuck's French Roast!
Ditto #1 on the gratitude list!
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