GASP! I Cook?!!! #MondayMemoirs

Alright, to make things clear, I do cook A LITTLE, I’m not entirely helpless. Mainly, I fry stuff (as you’ll find out later), but I also cook rice and do a few quick stuff like the simple bistek, a kind of alliteration for beef steak, and which often is ironically done with pork, not beef. Do give me a recipe and all the ingredients and I can promise it would be edible, at least.   

My father was the cook in the family and he taught their first-born how to cook; obviously, I’m not that first-born. I take after my mother who concentrated more on her studies in her younger days, ergo, she knew just a little bit more than I do when it came to whipping up dishes.

Given much time and resources, cooking/baking could be one of my hobbies. I’ve done it in Home Economics classes in high school and enjoyed it every time. And, believe it or not, in college, I took up, by choice, Human Nutrition courses where we learned more stuff about cooking (and nutrition, never forget about that). Honestly, hoarder that I am, I still keep recipes and very informative stuff they have given us because I know they’re good material.

The only reason I changed my remaining HN courses to General Agriculture ones, some of which I really also enjoyed (especially Entomology classes), was because HN did a lot of chemistry-related stuff, too, and Chemistry hated me. So what to do, right?

Anyway, a few years ago, I tried to go vegetarian. I have not won that challenge, but I am happy to report I learned to eat more and more veggies unlike when I was younger. I also started to experiment and to make the story short, I wanted to create ten recipes using tofu as a/the main ingredient. I was inspired because the group I was with were serving really delicious veggie food and lots of them were soy-based. My most fave would be spaghetti as I love pasta.

I was not able to come up with ten recipes yet, especially because I only had basic cooking knowledge (which means frying stuff), but I did come up with some. I’m sharing them with you now.

I do need to warn you that the tastes may not appeal to you at all as we all do have our own preferences. If you’re not a fan of tofu (tokwa here) or soy in general, then this may not appeal to you now at all. Oh, well, to each his own and I’m not twisting your arm to try these. If you do, make your own changes to sizes and amounts and stuff.

I’m just happy I made them. Someday, I’ll learn more in the kitchen. Meanwhile,…

(NOTE: Sorry, I’ve never taken any pics)

SUPERGI’S SQUASHED AND SCRAMBLED EGG FOO YONG

Ingredients:

1 piece tofu/tokwa, sliced preferably in very small cubes

½ cup of sliced fresh squash, also preferably in very small bits/cubes

2 eggs, beaten together

liquid seasoning

mushroom powder (preferred but not necessary)

cooking oil (better if vegetarian oil)

How to Cook:

1. Put the tofu and squash together.
2. Pour a dash of liquid seasoning and sprinkle a dash or two of mushroom powder then mix everything.
3. Sprinkle some mushroom powder as well on the beaten eggs.
4. Heat the oil then sauté the tofu-squash mix for a minute or two (depending on the size of the bits) until they seem nearly cooked.
5. Pour in the egg and keep sautéing everything until the egg is cooked according to your preference.
6. Serve when done.

Serves 2-3 people, depending on how they like it 😉

JUANITA BANANA SOY FRITTERS

They must be eaten warm/hot!

Ingredients:

2 pieces tofu/tokwa

1 ripe banana, medium-size

3 cups cornstarch

mushroom powder (preferred but not necessary)

cooking oil (better if vegetarian oil)

How to Cook:

1. Mash tofu together with the banana. You may or may not choose to use the whole banana, depending on how ripe it is and how sweet you want your fritter.
2. Add the cornstarch and sprinkle a dash or two of mushroom powder then mix, mix, mix.
3. Roll mixture into small balls.
4. Heat the oil then fry the balls until they are light-brown. DO NOT fry to the point of the balls toughening and especially avoid burnt pieces.
5. Serve when done.

Serves 2-4 people, depending on chosen sizes. They can be quite sweet so a maximun of two cooked pieces for each person unless they have a sweet tooth and would like more. Best served while still hot.

OH, MY CREAMY TOFU AUMELETTE I

Ingredients:

1 piece tofu/tokwa, sliced preferably in very small cubes

1 egg, beaten

mushroom powder (preferred but not necessary)

powdered pepper

evaporated milk

cooking oil (better if vegetarian oil)

1. Heat the oil then sauté the tofu.
2. Sprinkle a dash of mushroom powder and pepper.
3. When it’s beginning to look cooked, add in the egg and immediately follow with pouring the milk (how much depends on you but preferably not so much that it begins to look like soup).
4. Keep sautéing everything until the egg is of your desired consistency.
5. Serve when done.

NOTE: You may substitute veggie oil for cooking oil.

OH, MY CREAMY TOFU AUMELETTE II

Ingredients:

1 piece tofu/tokwa, sliced preferably in very small cubes

1 piece medium-size hotdog OR 2 pieces ham,

sliced preferably in very small bits/cubes

1 egg, beaten

mushroom powder (preferred but not necessary)

powdered pepper

evaporated milk

cooking oil

1. Heat the oil then sauté the hotdog or ham.
2. Add in the tofu after a minute.
3. Sprinkle a dash of mushroom powder and pepper.
4. When it’s beginning to look cooked, add in the egg and immediately follow with pouring the milk (how much depends on you but preferably not so much that it begins to look like soup).
5. Keep sautéing everything until the egg is of your desired consistency.

6. Serve when done.

NOTE: You may substitute veggie meat for the hotdog and ham, veggie oil for cooking oil.

 

Do share to us more recipes that you know of!!!