Hi all! I am back from the deep recesses of recital madness! Ryan’s DMA Recital was a huge success and a load off both our shoulders, even though it is probably more a load off Ryan’s than mine. We had at least 50 people attend the recital plus all the singers and instrumentalists. It turned out to be around 80 people in the church! This is definitely more than I expected for sure.
It is a blessing that everything came together SO quickly especially since Ryan had only 2 weeks (12 hours) of rehearsal time to teach us 12 pieces. Intense work folks. Like I said before, I was a sight-singing fiend! I do not know if I mentioned it, but Ryan assigned me two solos. One came from an amazing Rossini piece called I Gondolieri which was more of a quartet alternating with solo sections.
The other piece was an Argentinian piece by Albert Favero that was arranged by Liliana Cangiano called Te Quiero. I had not perfomed in Spanish in a long time so I was thrilled to since a solo for this love song.
Even though I was relieved that Ryan’s recital is over, I will miss making music like that. I am also thankful that I will no longer have to split my time between being a performer and being a caterer. I was WIPED this weekend. If it had not been for the ladies and friends at church helping me out with baked goods and a cake, then I would not be writing tonight. I feel so blessed to be able to ask friends for help because I totally would not have been able to do it myself. I do not have pictures of the event but there was more than enough baked goods and sheet cake for 80 people, thank GOD! What I did not have enough of was the punch part, but we made do. It was such a great success. I can tell you that I feel more confident being able to make larger meals for large groups of people, but hopefully being paid for it! He he he. My time means something ya know? 🙂
Tonight I had a chance to get back to my cooking again. Even though I did not work out, I knew that Ryan and I needed to get the house back in order. How can a small duplex get so messy SO fast? Ok, don’t answer that. 🙂
I worked with the TofuXpress but even more so I could take pictures that I had lost last week. This press is the best thing I have used in a long time when it comes to gadgets. I love my press!! What I did find out about this press is that it presses certain types of tofu but not all successfully.
The press does not work for MORI-NU tofu or any that come in aseptic containers. These are better for smoothies, soups, quick tofu scrambles and such but not for pressing. I have tried several times and it has FAILED.
What DOES work is the tofu that comes in water like the Nasoya brands and brands like this:
I opened the container and drained the water and then placed the tofu in the press.
The water naturally separates to the top after I place the press above the tofu. If I am using the tofu for dinner, I usually start pressing the tofu in the morning, but otherwise it only needs 30 minutes to and an hour to press. I then check on the water and empty the container every 15 minutes.
I then remove the tofu from the press and pat it dry. I then use it however I want whether it is to make tofu steaks or tofu cubes for a stirfry. Tonight I decided to make a pad thai with the tofu. I marinated the tofu cubes in sesame oil and tamari and then fried them in a non-stick skillet.
Perfection folks! They pan-fried so lovely and were a great addition to the pad thai. Who needs chicken, when you got delicious tofu? Stay tuned for an upcoming giveaway of one of these great gadgets!
Pad Thai with Tofu {Revisited}
serves 4
14 ounces extra firm organic tofu in water
3 cups flat rice noodles (1/2 inch thick)
4 Tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup mirin
3 Tablespoons ketchup (or tamarind concentrate)
1/8 cup tamari (or soy sauce)
1-1/2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 Tablespoons Thai chili sauce (I used Sriracha)
1 Tablespoon dulse flakes (adds fishy flavor)
3 cups broccoli florets
2 carrots. julienned
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
4 Tablespoons crushed peanuts
1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
Soak noodles in warm water for 20-30 minutes and press tofu at the same time. Cube pressed tofu in 1 inch pieces.
Heat a non-stick pan with 1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil on medium heat. Add tofu and fry for 20 minutes. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of Tamari for flavor.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
In a medium wok, add remaining sesame oil. Saute’ carrots, peppers, and broccoli for 5-7 minutes. Drain noodles and add to the wok. Continue cooking for 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix sauce ingredients: agave nectar, mirin, ketchup, tamari (or soy sauce), lime juice, Thai chili sauce, and dulse flakes. Add the sauce to the noodles and veggies. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes on medium heat, until the noodles and sauce start to to absorb.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Add tofu to noodles and 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts to mixture. Serve immediately and add peanuts on top.
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