So let's start with the food education since this is "supposed" to be a food blog, but don't worry my straight up honesty and opinion is coming shortly...wait for it....

Tonight I made Tofu Saag. What is that you say? Well it is an Indian dish with spinach and yogurt and spices. The recipe I made happened to have tofu in it, however it can be completely without a protein or you can add the protein of your choice. And let me just say it was amazing!!! I loved it!!

So, when I was living in Michigan the area that I lived in had a ton of Middle Eastern and Indian food ,thanks to the Ford plant causing immigration in the 50s and 60s. So I started to educate myself on the food I could get my hands on. And it was hysterical because the entire time I lived there I would have killed for a good taco, yet I was eating the most amazing gyros, saag, and shawarma a girl could want.

Fast forward and I now live back in the land of milk and tacos (not a typo) and don't get me wrong I still love me a taco, but I can't find Middle Eastern or Indian food to save my life. So, I decided to try and make my own.

First, I googled a recipe. Secondly, I reached out to Beenu (my co-worker) for advice and to make sure my recipe was authentic. And she gave me incredible advice. She told me to use spinach and mustard greens, but mustard greens are pretty hard to find so I may have to stick with spinach. I could only find spinach.

 She also told me what makes up the spices in garam masala. Did you know garam masala consists of fennel, cardamom, cloves, anise, and cinnamon? As a side note, please don't be turned off by the fact that garam masala smells like dirty socks or wet hockey gear. I promise you that it doesn't smell like that.

And finally, she told me to make sure I saute the spices so they don't taste raw and bitter. Check, check and check....I was on my way....

Here is the recipe I used and I highly recommend it and you will not be disappointed. It was flavorful, pungent, tasty, hint of spice, and just so satisfying!! #happygirl

Ingredients

• 2 small onions chopped (1 1/4 cups)
• 3 medium cloves garlic
• 2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped
• 3 tsp. garam masala
• 1 14-oz. package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 lb. baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup plain Greek whole-milk yogurt
• 2 Tbs. toasted sliced almonds

In a food processor, combine half of the onions, the garlic, ginger, chile, 2 tsp. of the garam masala, and 2 tsp. water, and pulse into a paste.

In a medium bowl, toss the tofu with the remaining 1 tsp. garam masala, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper.

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook, tossing the cubes occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary, until golden brown all over, about 10 minutes; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

Heat the remaining 1 Tbs. oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining chopped onion and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring, until light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and ginger mixture, and cook, stirring constantly, until dry and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the spinach in batches and cook, stirring often, until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool 1 minute. Stir in the yogurt a little at a time, and then gently stir in the tofu. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve topped with the almonds.

Now, let me tell you what I learned about the grass being greener. I moved to Michigan after spending my entire life in California and I was kind of cocky, expecting only subtle differences. Boy was I wrong. Let me tell you about the differences between Cali and "the mitten" as they so lovingly refer to their state...

1. They have the crappiest Mexican food ever, but they do have a place called "Mexicotown." I can't make this up!! I expected it to be like Disneyland, but with pinatas. It was not!! And the tacos were still eh!! But great name!!
2. They do not have Taco guys...ya know the people who come to your house and make tacos in your backyard. When I tried to tell my friend to hire a "Taco Guy" for a grad party...yes graduation parties from high school are really big there....they thought I was either joking or racist...I was neither.
3. They call a sliding glass door a "door wall." WTF!! I don't think I need to say anything more about that one!!
4. They do not differentiate between snow falling from the sky and snow laying on the ground. So when I tried to differentiate and call the snow falling from the sky "active snow" they looked at me like I had 5 heads. Again WTF!!
5. They describe where they lived based on the shape of their hand. Michigan is shaped like a mitten and they will often hold up their hands and point to where they live on their hand. I shit you not!!
6. They only allow their kids to trick or treat on Halloween for 2 hours...yeah you heard me right...they have trick or treat hours....kind of like how we have Happy Hour here....kids can trick or treat from 6-8pm. More WTF!!!
7. They call their liquor stored party stores. I walked into my first "party store" looking for streamers and balloons only to find vodka and a beer cooler. Don't get me wrong I fully embrace this idea, but the name just straight up confused me.

8. They have snow molds like we have sand castle molds. And  I quickly learned that when you line your driveway with snow mold penguins and it continues to snow...well....you have a driveway lined with snow dildos....which also makes your boyfriend (ex now for obvious reasons) very unhappy....more WTF....I thought it was funny AF!!


9. They play a card game called euchre...which I never played...pretty sure I didn't live there long enough....and they are passionate about this game....life it's life or death...however it reminds me of a gang jumping in ceremony and I am pretty sure I got out right before I was going to be forced into the initiation....

So now that I am back I miss the Middle Eastern food of Michigan and while I was there I missed my taco. So, the grass isn't always greener, maybe we all need to just try and enjoy the grass we are standing on in this moment. Love all of my friends in the Mitten!! And seriously try this Tofu Saag recipe. Its amazing!! Cheers!!