Yes...Valentine's Day. Cheesy, Hallmark goodness. Some take it seriously, others celebrate it in an anti-sort of way. Regardless, it is a good excuse (not that you should need one) to spend time with the people you love and care about (friends, partners, family).
To celebrate and enjoy a lovely evening, a Ms. Chikere Cottoy and myself (more so Chi) concocted and experimented with what you view here.
Alors, tout simplement Joyeux Jour de Saint Valentin!
Fried Tofu Stir-Fry
Serves 5
2 blocks of firm/extra-firm tofu
Mushrooms
Broccoli
Shallots
Sugar Snap Peas
Carrots
Chestnuts
Baby Corn
Vegetable Oil (3/4 - 1 cup; for frying the tofu)
Des épices: Adobo, paprika, garlic, curry powder, pepper
Island Soyaki (Soy sauce with a hint of pineapple; a product of Trader Joe's)
Honey
1. Heat up that vegetable oil...more than I like. But, the crunchy texture of the tofu is well worth it. After some trial and error, it was discovered that the tofu was even better with various spicy seasonings. *note: this is a creative/inventive meal, i.e. stir-fry at its best, so feel free to play around like we did!*
2. So, after/while you are frying the tofu, start sauteeing this veggies...whatever you have. Let them marinate. We tried experimenting with a champagne reduction, but totally took away from the asian flair...so just cooked it off and played around with the soy sauce adding paprika and honey to cut some of the acidity.
3. The stir-fry was accompanied by some couscous (Just boil some water. Pour it over the desired amount of couscous with a pat of butter and any herbs and spices you would like. We settled on some oregano and basil.
4. Now...what would a Valentine's Day be without any dessert!? We chose to do something fun, classic and incredibly reminiscent of childhood. COCOA RICE KRISPY TREATS! Simple chocolatey, sugary and gooey goodness all in one. Don't forget to enjoy some wine along with your meal. And yes, you can enjoy wine and rice krispy treats.
Just melt some butter in a large pot. Add in some marshmellows and stir in those cocoa rice krispies.
5. Not the most decadent looking of desserts, but quite tasty and sure to please and amuse a crowd.
