Midterms approacheth

Midterms are coming up this week. Monday I have my first test in multicultural advertising, then I have to write two papers and take another test on Thursday. In short, I'm not looking forward to this week, though I am looking forward to spring break the week afterwards.

I went and saw Spank again last night, and they were absolutely amazing. Think Greatful Dead, but good, and you've got Spank. Their opening band, Barbie, was also awesome, so I'm going to try to check those guys out whenever I see them around town. Going to the Coffee Pot later to get some studying done and see Calliope Musicals again. I could do the homework at home, but I want to get out of the house. I feel so cooped up in this apartment, and I just can't stand staying here so much. Although... it does smell like curry right now, and it's kind of delicious.

Anyway, without further ado, here is what I've made in the past few days:

Chinese-Style Vegetable Fried Rice

From: The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet by Nava Atlas

1.5 cups brown rice

2tbsp light olive oil

One 16 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

4 to 5 scallions, minced

Soy Sauce to taste

1. Bring 4 cups water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Stir in the rice, cover, and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 35 minutes.

2. When the rice is nearly done, heat the oil in a stir-fry pan or extra-wide skillet. Add the vegetables and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add the scallions and stir-fry for another minute or two.

3. Stir in the rice, and season to taste with soy sauce and bepper. Stir-fry for another 2 to 3 minutes and serve

*I didn't really like this recipe. Part of it had to do with the fact that I still can't make rice correctly to save my life. The other problem was that there is too much in one bag of frozen, mixed veggies. I am not a fan of the ratios in this recipe, but because I love fried rice, I'm sure I'll get another recipe to use, and when I do, I'll tell you all about it.

I also made some changes to the Red Curry recipe from the Curry book. The original recipe is in a previous blog post, but this one is specifically my version, and it's pretty good.

Red Curry

800 ml coconut milk

3.5 tbsp red curry paste

1 lb firm tofu, cubed

2 tbsp Thai fish sauce

1 tbsp granulated sugar

8 oz canned bamboo shoots

3 to 4 scallions, diced

1 can straw mushrooms

1 cup flour

1 egg

ground cumin

madras curry powder

garlic powder

2 cups vegetable oil

half package rice My-Tho noodles (to serve)

1. Put the 2 cups of veggie oil in a saucepan, and heat over medium-high heat. Mix flour, egg, cumin, curry powder, and garlic powder together in a bowl.* Roll cubed tofu in resulting batter, and then add to heated oil until thoroughly cooked. Remove from oil and set aside for later.

2a. Pour half of the coconut milk into a wok over medium heat. Stir constantly, and boil until coconut milk has separated.

2b. While milk is separating, boil a pot of water large enough for the My-Tho noodles to fit into. Once the water is boiling, remove it from heat, and add the noodles for about 8 minutes. Once noodles are appropriately tender, drain, and set aside for later.

3. Once coconut milk has separated, add curry paste, and continue to stir for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until milk and paste have fully combined.

4. Add the tofu, the sugar, and the fish sauce, and stir well. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes.

5. Add the scallions, and cook for 1 minute, then add the mushrooms. Cook for 30 more seconds, then add the rest of the coconut milk. Return mixture to a boil while stirring.

6. Remove from heat, and serve over cooked rice noodles in a bowl. Enjoy.

I meant to put in green beans, but I forgot to get them out of the freezer in time, so I went without. Next time! By the way, this recipe is SO much better than it was. Slightly more expensive, but since I was stocked up on paste, sauce, spices, etc. effectively it did not cost anything more than the last one.

Anyway, til next time, eat well!

Edit: I didn't actually fry all of the tofu with the batter. I fried half of it without, because I've been trying to replicate the texture achieved by restaurants when they make the curry.

Also, I'm currently eating some reheated curry from last night's recipe, and I have to say, it is freaking delicious. I almost like it more than the stuff I get at restaurants, so I might start ordering something different, if for no other reason than to try something I might like to cook later on.

I wanted to add something else, but I have completely forgotten what it was. Maybe I'll make an edit tomorrow.