Sweet & Sour Tofu, Mango Oat Bars

I always mean it when I comment on other blogs that a recipe looks delicious and I need to try it. Sometimes it takes me awhile -– I’m also trying to get my money’s worth from my giant collection of cookbooks and work old favorites into regular rotation – but when I finally get around to it, it’s worth the wait.

Last night, we took the babies to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live! I wasn’t sure how the food situation would be at the venue -- plus, it’s a 1 1/2 hour drive. I decided that some “snacky snack snack snack snacks” were needed, and I turned to Averie and Mama Pea.

I typically make savory tofu, but Averie's Sweet & Sour Honey Lemon Tofu sounded yummy. I didn’t have mango chutney, so I used Goya mango jam combined with 1 tsp. dried ginger. The tofu smelled like a Ricola cough drop while it was marinating, ha ha!

And then -- these things always happen when you're trying to get everything together for a trip -- I forgot about the tofu and took the dog out, and when I got back, Tony was pulling a burnt mess out of the oven. Woops! I managed to salvage about half of it. It was quite tasty, but I didn't get a pic. The tofu was so chewy and sweet, it almost tasted like I was eating dates.

Next up was Mama Pea’s Blackberry Oat Bars. I did not have blackberry jam…so I used mango. Was I on a mission to use up that jar of mango jam, or what? I liked the shimmery golden-orange hue it gave the bars. Like little squares of amber.

Note encroaching toddler hand.

Jackson had to sample some before we hit the road.

By the way, Mama Pea’s recipe calls for brown sugar, which I didn’t have, but I know how to make my own: combine 1 cup white sugar and 1 Tbsp. molasses. You want to mush it with a fork for a few minutes to get the molasses to break down and really blend with the sugar. I love little tricks like this! Note -- your 1 cup of white sugar will magically transform into about 1 1/3 cups of brown sugar, so be sure to re-measure out what you need for your recipe.

Have a great weekend!