The heat is on

Yesterday was apparently the first day in 6 months with an 'official' temperature of 90F recorded here in Houston.  Running at around 6:00P last night I could certainly feel it.  About time, and not too shocking for any long-time resident of the area.  Summers in Houston are hot.  They start early and they never seem to end.  Oh and I am hearing the first rumblings of the hurricane season.  Last year's hurricane season was a complete bust -  I am sure every last man, woman and child in Houston would be happy with a repeat performance. 

We kicked off the summer early with a cookout of sorts, some veggie kebabs and tofu grilled on a non-stick electric griddle.  Let's face it, it's not even close to a 'real' barbecue: there's no meat involved,  no coals, gas, flames, smoke, ash or any of the usual obnoxious and/or dangerous elements associated with a BBQ.  Just some good healthy food with a bit of color.

I marinated the vegetables all day in a mix of lemon juice, a little bit of olive oil, soy sauce and a tablespoon or so of a Moroccan spice mix, with a minced preserved lemon.  The tofu got the usual soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, sake and rice vinegar treatment, to liven it up a bit before sticking the cubes on a bamboo skewer.  We served it with some brown rice on the side.  Leftovers?  Not much.