Potato Wedges update

I cooked the potato wedges again for the football game last night. I changed one thing...i added the olive oil and all the spices/seasoning onto a baking sheet first. Then after I cut up the potatoes, I rolled them around in that mixture. This really helped get the potatoes more crispy (although the outsides got very crispy, this insides were a little soft). They came out really oily, so i might roll the potatoes on one sheet, then cook on another. But they were mmm mmm good.

Shrimp Fettuccini

So I decided to get a little adventurous/use up what I had left at my apt. So I cooked some shrimp in olive oil. I first cooked some garlic and shallots to get that sweet smell going. Then i added the shrimp with some red peppers and serrano chilies. I seasoned the shrimp with some cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, and some a little bit of Emril's Essence. I also added some broccoli to the final dish. It was really good, good kick to the meal. Not sure how else to make this better in the future, but i'm sure i'll play w/ it later.

Tofu Results

I was SHOCKED how good this was. I actually wanted to eat the leftovers. Crazy right??? It almost tasted like how paella would taste (so in the future can definitely easily switch w/ meat or seafood)

A few notes:
- get rid of the celery, doesn't really add anything and wasn't that good.
- DEFINITELY use beans again, made it good. I used red beans and they actually worked beautifully, so i would keep it the same in the future.
- I added more spices/made it spicier. I like a little more kick, so this was good. Depends who is eating it but it was good.
- Lastly, just watch with the rice, you can tell how much you'll need to soak up the juices, i used a little more than the recipe called for.

YUM!

Tofu Jambalya

Tofu Jambalaya

1 lb extra-firm tofu, frozen and defrosted
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lg. onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup white rice
1 lg. can tomatoes, chopped in can
1/2 cup tomato juice or water
2 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp thyme
a few drops of Liquid Smoke seasoning (optional)
red and black pepper to taste

Prepare the tofu by gently squeezing out the excess water and cutting it into 1/2-inch cubes. Set aside.

In a large, non-stick pot, sauté vegetables in oil until soft. Add rice near the end and brown slightly. Add tomatoes, water, chili powder and other seasonings, and stir. Gently stir in tofu, cover tightly and put on low heat. Cook for 30 minutes or until rice is done and liquid is absorbed.

4-6 servings