Posts labelled with "cooking"

December, month of excess! Occasionally, you need a break to detox – look! no meat! – so here's an easy recipe that makes a good healthy meal for two: tofu, choi sum, and rice. I'll assume you know how to cook rice (what? you don't?).

This is what it will look like...

The tofu will look like this.

I didn't get a photo of the choi sum, but it will look much like this (minus the chillies).

Tofu

1. Firstly, get the sauce going: Oil and soya sauce as described in the tag. Put it on the lowest heat, and make sure it doesn't bubble.
2. Cut tofu into slabs, and leave to sit on a plate for about 15 minutes, draining off excess water regularly.
3. Put some vegetable oil in a frying pan, and bring to full heat.
4. Slide the tofu slabs into the pan, and gently keep them moving to avoid them burning to the pan.
5. When lightly browned, flip the slabs then lightly brown the other side.
6. Place the cooked slabs in a bowl, and now we'll finish the sauce.
7. The oil and soya sauce should be hot (not bubbling!) by now – simply add the chopped chilli and spring onion, swirl around, then pour the lot over the tofu.

Choi sum

1. Cut the choi sum – stems and all – into pieces approximately 8cm long, wash them in a collander, and leave sitting in water.
2. Finely chop garlic, and cut some ginger into shreds.
3. Get your wok (of course you've got one), add a splash of vegetable oil, and turn the heat up to full power.
4. When it's hot, add the garlic and ginger.
5. Just before the garlic or ginger starts browning, tip the choi sum from the collander into the wok.
6. Add a generous splash of soya sauce, cover the wok, and leave to cook for about a minute.
7. Then add a few drops of pure sesame oil and stir.
8. Check occasionally whether it's cooked to your liking (just take a piece out and try it...).
9. Optionally, stir a teaspoon of cornstarch into  2-3 tablespoons of cold water, then stir the mixture in to the choi sum to thicken the sauce.
10. Pour into a bowl, and serve.

Credits

Choi sum photo by FotoosVanRobin.

Recipe courtesy of Dad and a billion Chinese people.