Tofu with three sauces… and cilantro
You like tofu? Fried tofu? So do I. But most Filipinos know only one way to enjoy their fried tofu (or tokwa as it is locally known) — as the other half of boiled pork in a dish called tokwa’t baboy, the traditional accompaniment for lugaw (congee). No doubt that fried tofu is great served that way but I like variety in the way I eat my tofu so I’m forever experimenting with what goes well with it.
But am I not supposed to be on a low fat diet? Why the heck am I eating fried tofu? I’ve invested in good quality non-stick cookware. Instead of deep-frying tofu, I fry the tofu cubes in a few tablespoonfuls of oil.
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Chicken, tofu and kangkong (water / swamp spinach) with chili garlic sauce
Yes, chili garlic sauce. Again. I can’t seem to get enough of the stuff. And I’m not even fond of spicy dishes. No, correction — I am not fond of overly spicy dishes. And that’s what makes the chili garlic sauce perfect for me so long as I use it for cooking rather than for dipping.
Yesterday’s lunch was a stir fry made with chicken strips, firm tofu and kangkong. So unbelievable simple, so amazingly easy to cook and so utterly tasty that I had to stop myself from having a third helping…
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When tofu met pesto
It was a whim. A last-minute whim and a decision that took all of a split-second to make. What I really intended was to saute the spinach leaves with a little Kacep Manis then use them as a bed for the fried tofu and fish fillets. I was already taking out the bottle of Kecap Manis from the fridge when my eyes went past the small jar of pesto that I made a couple of days ago. I said, “Why not?” And because pesto is much milder than Kacap Manis, I decided that a little more kick was in order — two pieces of chili picante. That was how I discovered that pesto is not an enemy of tofu.
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Beef, mushrooms and tofu stir fry
Oh, the things you can do with sukiyaki-cut beef! And bacon-cut pork, for that matter. Marinating takes a few minutes and cooking time is even shorter. They’re great with stir fries, with noodles and even with soup. They’re a big favorite these days. The mornings are cold and getting up to fix the kids’ packed school lunch can be such an effort when staying in bed under the blanket feels so much better. A good strategy is to place the frozen beef or pork in the fridge where the meat will thaw overnight. The next morning, it’s ready to go into the wok.
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Tokwa’t isda sa gata (fish and tofu in coconut milk)
There was this doctor on the news a few days ago saying that there has been no sufficient study to prove the health benefits of virgin coconut oil. Well, that’s not the same as saying the benefits are illusory. They might be illusory. A lot of people are suckers for miracle cures. But it is quite possible that doctors are resisting because the fad is bad for the medical and pharmaceutical business.
My position is this: Filipinos along with the natives of dozens of other tropical countries have been coconut consumers for centuries, and high blood pressure and other related ailments have not been a real problem until the fast food culture…
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Sweet and spicy tofu
Here’s a little tip with firm tofu that can cut cooking time by more than 50%. The problem with tofu is that it doesn’t really last long even in the fridge. You can remedy that by pre-frying and freezing the tofu. If you cook a lot of tofu dishes at home, fry the tofu in bulk. Cut three or four tofu cakes into desired pieces, deep fry in vegetable oil, drain on paper towels, cool then store in freezer containers. Divide the fried tofu so that the content of each container is good for one complete dish. When you’re ready to cook them, take out a container and thaw the tofu completely before tossing into the hot sauce. Allow to simmer in the sauce until heated through…
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Lumpiang tinapa at mangga (smoked fish and mango spring rolls)
I was cooking lunch last Sunday when my husband saw the recipe for a fish-and-mango lumpia (spring rolls) on a local TV cooking show. I wasn’t really paying attention because I was busy in the kitchen. I’m not sure which cooking show it was but it definitely wasn’t Geny Sison’s. My husband wanted to try the lumpia at home… But we both knew that the kids wouldn’t like tuyo (dried salted fish) which the recipe called for. They can’t stand anything that salty. We decided we’d substitute tinapa (smoked fish)…
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Tofu, spinach and bean sprouts stir fry
Still having this passionate love affair with tofu. We’ve been having tofu dishes at home almost every other day these past few weeks. It really started out as a counter move against the excesses usually associated with the Christmas holidays. But now… well, believe it or not, I am now capable of eating purely vegetarian dishes. That’s something I never thought possible…
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