I am usually a little turned off by simplicity, and as I type these words I am surrounded by clutter. In spite of my doubt about the beauty of minimalism, I was recently smitten by a dish I sampled at the newly opened and generically named "Asian Cuisine," an Asian fusion restaurant in my hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The dish was salt and pepper tofu, and it was simple and simply delicious. It was served with nothing but a garnish of colorful green peppers and tasted as though it contained simply what it advertised - tofu, salt, and pepper.
I decided to attempt the dish for dinner tonight, accompanying it with fried rice, so that, in case of disaster there would be at least something to eat.
The recipe for it comes from a lovely food blog, Veggie Belly. The fried rice, from Smitten Kitchen, my old standby.
Leek Fried rice with poached eggs
(serves 4)
4 eggs
2 leeks - soaked/ rinsed, and coarsley chopped
4 cups of rice - can be leftover
1/2 an onion, finely choped
1 1/2 inches of ginger, finely chopped
4-8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2-4 tbs cooking oil
1 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs hoisin sauce
2/3 cup pine nuts, almonds
In a large skillet, heat most of the oil until hot, then add the ginger and garlic until golden brown. Transfer to a napkin to dry.
In the same skillet and with the remaining oil, add the sauces, onion and leeks and cook until translucent. Add rice, nuts and garlic-ginger mixture and mix together, heating through. Keep heated on low temperature.
Then, you prepare the tofu
Salt and pepper Tofu
1 block of extra firm tofu
4 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon or to taste freshly cracked black pepper
Drain and pat dry the tofu, then cube. Toss together with salt, pepper and cornstarch until well-coated.
Fill a skillet or wok with 1 1/2 cooking oil and heat until hot and crackling. Then add the tofu and fry until yellow-brown.
Serve with a fried or poached egg and sprinkled with the fried garlic mixture.
I decided to attempt the dish for dinner tonight, accompanying it with fried rice, so that, in case of disaster there would be at least something to eat.
The recipe for it comes from a lovely food blog, Veggie Belly. The fried rice, from Smitten Kitchen, my old standby.
Leek Fried rice with poached eggs
(serves 4)
4 eggs
2 leeks - soaked/ rinsed, and coarsley chopped
4 cups of rice - can be leftover
1/2 an onion, finely choped
1 1/2 inches of ginger, finely chopped
4-8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2-4 tbs cooking oil
1 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs hoisin sauce
2/3 cup pine nuts, almonds
In a large skillet, heat most of the oil until hot, then add the ginger and garlic until golden brown. Transfer to a napkin to dry.
In the same skillet and with the remaining oil, add the sauces, onion and leeks and cook until translucent. Add rice, nuts and garlic-ginger mixture and mix together, heating through. Keep heated on low temperature.
Then, you prepare the tofu
Salt and pepper Tofu
1 block of extra firm tofu
4 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon or to taste freshly cracked black pepper
Drain and pat dry the tofu, then cube. Toss together with salt, pepper and cornstarch until well-coated.
Fill a skillet or wok with 1 1/2 cooking oil and heat until hot and crackling. Then add the tofu and fry until yellow-brown.
Serve with a fried or poached egg and sprinkled with the fried garlic mixture.
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| Crisping ginger and garlic |
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| Golden fried tofu - with a perfect crispy outside and creamy interior |
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| Eggs poaching in their pockets. The poaching process went much faster after putting a lid over the boiling pot. |
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| The finished product. |
