Food!

So lately I have wanted to start learning how to cook more things. I have been inspired by all the friends around me that have been cooking awesome meals. You see I was raised in a broken home. My mother worked full time and went to school at night, there wasnt time for a great home cooked meal all the time, the crock pot was her best friend. We had a lot of the same meals often. And my father, with home I spent most of my time in my teenage years.. well he cooked very rarely and if he did it was SPAM, or sloppy joes.. or cheese in a tortilla in the microwave lol..

If I gleaned any cooking knowledge, it was from my grandmothers. Two women that I respect. I lost one a year and a month ago. I still have my other grandmother though, sadly she lives across the country, but she will be here this weekend.

Anyways. I wanted to share the meal I made last night. It started with a food network recipe. Then I changed it a bit. I am all about pocket book friendly food (thank you Dave Ramsey for helping to make me a budgeter! )

I used Rice a Roni fried rice
Plus Oriental top ramen
And carrots and peas.

And I used cubed tofu instead of tofu strips. I didnt have sherry vinegar, so I used white wine vinegar. I also increased the Worcester sauce.

Here is the link to the recipe for the tofu, as well as the recipe.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/fillet-ofu-recipe/index.html

Ingredients
1 (19-ounce) block firm tofu
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Few dashes of hot pepper sauce
Canola oil to cover skillet by 1/8-inch
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Directions
Slice the block of tofu into 4 equal portions. Place the slices on paper towels and fold the towels over in both directions to cover the tofu. Place a baking sheet on top of the tofu and weigh it down with a 28-ounce can of tomatoes for 1 hour.

Combine the sherry vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce and place the tofu into the marinade. Marinate for 15 minutes on each side.

Place the flour into a shallow dish and the eggs into another. Lightly beat the eggs.

Heat the canola oil in the skillet over medium-high heat.

Remove tofu from marinade and drain on paper towels to remove any excess marinade.

Lightly dredge the tofu in the flour, knocking off any excess flour and slide into the eggs until completely, but thinly, coated on both sides.

Slide tofu gently into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes until golden brown and delicious. Flip the tofu using the tongs, and cook for another 2 minutes.

And here is the finished product.. all mixed together


And the best part of the whole thing was my husband... He said he loved it, that I need to make it more often, and that it was better than rest restaurant Chinese food! (And he doesnt lie... if he doesnt like something, he will tell me so that I dont make it again lol)