Garbage

Based on the title of this post, you might be thinking I would be talking about garbage in some way. Perhaps I have a really good and easy compost idea, or a way to recycle, but alas no it is actually a recipe for a dish. This is a dish I make for my family and for many guests and family members. It is also the dish that everybody wants me to make for special occasions i.e. birthdays, family get togethers, and even auditions for Master Chef. Yeah NO WAY am I making Garbage for chef Ramsay!! I will however share this aawsome family recipe and tradition with you, my audience.

First of all I would like to say that there are innumerable possible variations to this dish. For this recipe I will use tofu prepared from my blog "How to Prepare Your Entree Tofu" following the directions for stir-fry tofu. However, you may also use a vegetarian or non vegetarian meatball recipe of your choice or vegetarian Croquettes by Cedar Lake foods (this may only be available in Michigan). The only requirement is if you're going to be brave enough to try this recipe YOU MUST be brave enough to try it the way it is supposed to be, TRUST ME!!

You will need:

1-2 blocks of prepared tofu/meatball recipe, cooked
4 jars of La Choy sweet and sour sauce
1 large white or spanish onion
1 large green pepper
1/2 - 1 whole fresh cubed pineapple
4 cups cooked brown/white rice

Salad ingredients as preferred (suggestions):

1 head romaine lettuce
1 diced tomato
1 package sliced mushrooms
1 head broccoli
2 shredded carrots
cheddar cheese, croutons, and dressing of choice for topping

This is where it gets fun. Mix together tofu/cooked meatballs, green pepper, onion, pineapple, and sweet and sour sauce in a thick casserole dish/baking pan cover and bake at 350 degrees (F) until hot and bubbly. You want the vegetables to be tendercrisp not mushy. Cook rice and prepare salad ingredients while the tofu mixture is baking.

To Serve:

Start with small amount of rice on the plate and top with tofu/meatball mixture, then finish by topping with ALL preferred salad ingredients. Anything you would usually put on a salad you will put on TOP of meat and rice including the salad dressing. NOT on the side, NOT as seperate components to one meal, ALL PILED ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER!!! Hence the name, garbage if you don't serve it this way it's NOT garbage it is simply sweet and sour tofu/meatballs over rice with a boring salad, anybody can do that.

Variations:

Use homemade sweet and sour sauce instead of store bought (I will post this recipe at some point). Use different vegetables and different sauces aiming for a different flavor like general tso's, sesame, orange, schezchuan, teriaki, etc. ALWAYS serve over rice, topped with a salad!! You may find recipes for different homemade sauces in this blog under the "Sesame Tofu" or "Vegetable Lo Mein" posts.