I LOVE the internet.

First off…I hate talking on the phone, so the internet is my central method of communication: I can e-mail, message, or text whenever I want. I can consult my dog’s Facebook page to see what my nieces and their kids are up to…and I can share pictures of my dogs doing ridiculous things (yeah, yeah, my dog has a Facebook page).

I also access all my news online: sure, The New York Times allows you to read only ten free articles per month, but clear your browser and you’re good to go for another ten.

Because we don’t have a TV, I also access all my entertainment online–books, audio books, podcasts, movies, and TV series are all only a click away.

And, until we retired last May, I also performed a great deal of my work online since all of our courses were either partially or fully online.

However, one of the coolest things about living online is that you can look in your fridge, see what you have, and then search for a recipe with those items. More often than not, you’ll end up with a long list of recipes.

And the best part: the recipes are invariably reviewed, so you quickly know whether it’s crap or worth a try. Quite the departure from looking through cookbooks and simply taking a chance!

I was dying for a stir-fry this evening, but as I mentioned in yesterday’s post, we’re not going into town until tomorrow and, other than onions, jalapeno, and ginger, I had only what’s growing on the deck: kale, chard, and beet greens.

Fortunately, I managed to find this very well-reviewed recipe online, which I adapted with the addition of soy sauce, sambal oelek, and Better Than Bouillon vegetable paste. I also topped it with cashews, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds!

Spicy Peanut Tofu, Kale, and Chard

Spray a pan and saute until onions are soft:

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 TBS grated fresh ginger
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 tsp chili powder

Blend in the bullet or blender and add to the pan and simmer until it thickens:

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 TBS tomato paste
• 1 TBS Sambal Oelek
• 1 TBS Better Than Bouillon vegetable paste

Once the mixture is simmering, add the following and simmer until the kale is softened:

• 10 ounces (or so) chopped baby kale, Swiss chard, and beet leaves
• 1 package puffy tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes

Serve over brown basmati rice, sprinkle with sesame and poppy seeds, and top with a handful of cashews.

IT. IS. SO. DAMN. GOOD.

Oh, and the last thing I love about the internet: I can save all my adapted recipes and food experiments on this blog for future reference…and to share with my little community of plant-based foodies!!