I’m back from Ontario and I’m a bit panicked. There’s so much to do and Christmas is only a week away! I did a some pre-homemade gifting to take with me to my family, but there’s still much stuff kicking my ass.
Here’s just some of the things I’ll be making from my own archives:
And then there’s all this yumminess from other blogs to consider:
- Gingerbread Popcorn
- Super-Cute Peppermint Yule Log
- Lemon Slice Cookies
- Espresso Caramels
- Salt Lick Bars
But before panic takes hold of me completely, it’s good to have something warm and nutritious in the belly. This recipe for Kung Pao vegetables was revamped from Thimble’s recipe and it made for a super delicious and easy lunch. Filling and hearty to keep up your stamina during the holidays.
kung pao vegetables (+ tofu + udon)
1 t sesame oil
1 T canola oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 small head of broccoli, broken into florets
2 carrots, sliced on the diagonal
1 rib of celery, sliced on the diagonal
1 small packet of prepared udon noodles
1/2 block tofu, cubed
1/4 c peanuts, choppedsauce:
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c orange juice
1 T cider vinegar
1 T ginger, minced
1 T chili paste or asian hot sauce (the one with the rooster on the bottle)
1 T brown sugar
1 T bottled peanut sauce
1 T cornstarch1. Mix sauce ingredients in and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet. Add onion and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add carrots, celery and broccoli and stirfry until crisp-tender. Add the sauce and the udon noodles and combine well so everything gets saucy.
3. In a separate pan, fry up tofu in a bit of oil until brown on all sides. Add tofu and peanuts to the vegetable mixture, stirring gently to coat with sauce. Serve in deep bowls.
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Looks delicious, the noodles are a good call, I love udon!
Hey welcome back – did you get snowed in on Sunday in Southern Ontario??
I’m considering making the ginger gems for a friend with an egg allergy as a X-mas gift along with a lovely Japanese platter.
And, i will certainly be making the peppermint white chocolate bark ( and dark chocolate bark with salted nuts) for the colleagues at work…so I will be busy as well…the good thing is that you work from home so you can take periodic breaks to check in on things while they are baking etc….I have to wait until I get home in the pm to start the whipping and the sifting…*sigh*
Good luck with your shopping – I can’t say I’m a fan of gift shopping during this time of year…just call me ‘Grinch’ 😀
welcome back!! ahh, I too am stressed that Christmas is only a few days away!! I have so much holiday shopping to do!! I’m not helping your stress, am I ;0)
everything you’re going to make sounds positively delectable!! and speaking of delectable, I’m loving that kung pao vegetable dish – yum!
Yum that looks good! I’m saving that recipe. Good luck with your holiday baking! And thanks for letting me know about the mini-loaf pans.
Yum. It’s light, fragrant and healthy. A perfect recipe for right before my sugar-fueled holiday eating frenzy begins!
thanks laural! the udon works well with the rest of the ingredients. yum.
joanne – i got back late saturday night. our flight was delayed 1 hr but we made it fine. phew!
thanks veggiegirl, glad to be back!
thanks eatme, i’m getting a little freaked by how much i still have to do! yikes.
yup, yup and yup! thanks annie, this is the perfect meal to endulge in before you go on a sugar high for the remainder of the month!
Yummm. How come you always know exactly what I want to eat? I finally made that spicy chicken and rice last night, and it was perfect.
Good luck lady, sounds like you have a lot to do! But just remember…it’s all good stuff! 🙂 I tend to stress about holidays too, but these warm veggies are giving me a cozy feeling!
your kung-pao chicken looks like perfect sustinence this season of sweets and rich food.
sounds like you have a lot of baking etc.. to do… would you mind baking up a batch for me??? Just kidding! Enjoy your holidays….all the best!
A great meal to soothe the soul before all the festive madness kicks in!
Just wanted to drop by and say Happy Christmas to you and yours 🙂
lydia, we must be on the same vancouver wavelength or something!
thanks cakespy, i’m relaxing as we speak….ahhhhh!
you too, hag! happy holidays!
thanks jen, merry christmas to you as well 🙂
we ate tofu before the storm too. love this recipe the sauce sounds wonderful!
happy newyear 🙂
Good stuff — I just made this recipe this afternoon and it’s delicious!
I finally got around to making this last night after i saw it a year ago! It was awesome! you rock!