I'm Alive! I'm really Alive!

Whoa- what a long strange trip it has been, let me-tell-ya! That was the sickest I have ever been in my entire life, and I wish it upon no one! I had an unbelievable combination of symptoms, that should of damn near killed me. Take a case of horrible food poisoning, add a lung and sinus infection, then slap on a case strep throat on there, then make sure your nose won't stop running and you can't stop coughing up brown mucus- and you might be somewhat close to what I was going through for over a week. I would like to take this time to thank my husband, for not only dealing with my misery but also taking care of me. What would I do without you?

I have never been one to get sick, I rarely ever do. From what I have heard I got what was going around, and it gave me a completely new appreciation for life, food, and health.

I ate next to nothing for over a week, food didn't look good and it sure as hell didn't taste very good. Even today I am not 100%, but at least my love for food is back in full force!

I made my first real meal yesterday, and it was cronic.

Cornmeal crusted stuffed tofu in a leek/portabella sauce with swiss chard

This meal was incredibly easy and tasty to make. I have been noticing an increase in stuffed tofu dishes on others blogs so I had to make one myself. I was very pleased with the way these bad boys fried up.

First I took some local extra firm tofu, and cut it into "cutlet" size pieces. I then chopped (very fine) broccoli and shitake mushrooms. I added a bit of olive oil and some seasonings. I cut open a slot in the tofu and stuffed them with the mixture. Then on a plate I put some soy milk, and on another plate right next to it I put some cornmeal, garlic, salt and pepper. I then took the stuffed tofu and soaked it in the soy milk, then dipped it in the cornmeal mixture. In a hot pan with vegetable oil I lighting fried each side of the tofu. I had the oven set at 450 degrees, and after I lightly fried the tofu I put it in the oven for 15 minutes.

In a sauce pan I had some hot olive oil, and I caramelized the leeks. Then I added the chopped portabellas and cooked it down until it was soft. I then added a cup 1/2 of water, some better than bouillan paste, and garlic. Mmmm...I love garlic, hopefully you do too. To thicken I used arrow-root powder, the only way to make a sauce!

what the funk is Arrowroot?

arrowroot starch = arrowroot powder = arrowroot = arrowroot flour This starch thickener has several advantages over cornstarch. It has a more neutral flavor, so it's a good thickener for delicately flavored sauces. It also works at a lower temperature, and tolerates acidic ingredients and prolonged cooking better. And while sauces thickened with cornstarch turn into a spongy mess if they're frozen, those made with arrowroot can be frozen and thawed with impunity. The downside is that arrowroot is pricier than cornstarch, and it's not a good thickener for dairy-based sauces, since it turns them slimy.

Tips:

• To avoid lumps, mix the starch with an equal amount of cold liquid until it forms a paste, then whisk it into the liquid you're trying to thicken. Once the thickener is added, cook it briefly to remove the starchy flavor. Don't overcook--liquids thickened with some starches will thin again if cooked too long or at too high a temperature.

• Cornstarch, arrowroot, and tapioca are the most popular starch thickeners. They have different strengths and weaknesses, so it's a good idea to stock all three in your pantry.

• Starch thickeners give food a transparent, glistening sheen, which looks nice in a pie filling, but a bit artificial in a gravy or sauce. If you want high gloss, choose tapioca or arrowroot. If you want low gloss, choose cornstarch.

• Cornstarch is the best choice for thickening dairy-based sauces. Arrowroot becomes slimy when mixed with milk products.

• Choose arrowroot if you're thickening an acidic liquid. Cornstarch loses potency when mixed with acids.

• Sauces made with cornstarch turn spongy when they're frozen. If you plan to freeze a dish, use tapioca starch or arrowroot as a thickener.

• Starch thickeners don't add much flavor to a dish, although they can impart a starchy flavor if they're undercooked. If you worried that your thickener will mask delicate flavors in your dish, choose arrowroot. It's the most neutral tasting of the starch thickeners.

• Tapioca starch thickens quickly, and at a relatively low temperature. It's a good choice if you want to correct a sauce just before serving it.

http://www.foodsubs.com/ThickenStarch.html