Experiments with Tofu

So, for lunch I made a rice noodle soup in chicken broth (took chicken broth, ginger, soy sauce, red pepper flake, some Thai green chile paste, a tad bit of sugar and marinated the tofu while I was on the treadmill). At first, I was going to be very holy and just have the veggies, tofu, and noodles, but as I started to eat, I felt deprived and started fixating on the shrimp I had in the freezer. I had made this once before with shrimp and I couldn't help compare. Tofu I make at home is often a "chore" to eat. I like it in miso (but when I have miso I know I get to have sushi too) and I like it in thai/japanese restaurants when its mixed with veggies and over rice--usually the tofu in those cases is fried.

One thing I absolutely know is that I will not eat or appreciate anything at work that I make at home with tofu. I've tried it once or twice and I've always given in and gone out to lunch with the work crew. Now, I love my colleauges, but we work in a small town in the south (I commute from the city to a regional university) and the food choices are pretty much fast food, chain food, or home cookin' where everything is friend in lard. Lately, I've been going out to eat A LOT with my colleagues. Getting out of the office is a huge appeal--its boring to sit all day at the same place. It has had a detrimental effect on me, spiritually, finacially and physically. Because I am a typical healthy eater, chain food isn't good for me--its weird to my system and I eat gluten more than I ought to (I have a gluten intolerance). Plus I'm going to be way poorererer this next semester because I won't be working my second job teaching as an adjunct. Flextime also generally keeps me from going out. Next term I will generally be on flextime and bringing homemade meals and Amy's or Ethnic Gourmet meals. Plus everyone has vowed to be on a diet or similar next term in the office, we're all great reformers for 30 seconds at least. Anyway, my point, NO TOFU for lunch (unless its Amy's tofu) and when I make it at home I should probably just through in some shrimp or beans to make it less chore like. There will be other posts in the future about me and meatless eating...