"Srirachup" Tofu and Eggplant Sauté

Is it me or does time go by faster now? This summer has literally just zipped by me, so quickly that it hardly feels like I've experienced even a portion of it. It might be because I didn't do much this summer, as opposed to last year where I went back to Singapore with the kids for a relaxing holiday.

Yes, this summer pales in comparison. I spent most of my time working because I had to, yet I suffered horrible guilt because of it. I hated that I couldn't take the kids on a fun-filled vacation somewhere...anywhere, and before I knew it, the summer had come and gone. Now it's time for them to go back to school. Where is a time machine when you need one?

On the bright side, I did try to organize little local trips as much as possible. One such trip was to Chinatown and another, taken just last week was to Huntington Dog Beach. The kids and our doggie, Daisy, had such a blast! It's a one-mile strip reserved especially for our furry friends to run off-leash and enjoy the sand and water. For those of you in the local L.A. area, be sure to check it out especially if you have a dog, are into dogs or love dog watching. See their website here for more info. I can't recommend it enough.

Here a some shots of our day at the dog beach.

"SRIRACHUP" TOFU & EGGPLANT SAUTÉ

Serves 6.

Nutrition info (per serving): 160 calories, 12g carb, 9g fat, 8g protein

Weight Watcher Points+ (per serving): 4

There is a combination of two condiments that I find absolutely wicked and that is the mixture of ketchup and Sriracha chili sauce. I smear it on my morning eggs, use it as a dipping sauce for french fries and as a simple sauce base for this tofu dish. I know it sounds crazy to pair it with tofu of all things but what it does is make the dish a tad sweet and tangy, a little spicy and a whole lot of yummy. I call this my "Srirachup" tofu sauté (for lack of a better name) and it's a dish I make often, especially when I need to whip up something quick for lunch or dinner. Sometimes I add a little ground pork to it but most of the time, I make it meatless. It's always a hit with the family.

Ingredients:

2 boxes of silken (soft) tofu

3 cloves of garlic, minced

4 dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted and diced

2 Japanese eggplant or half of a large globe eggplant, diced

2 green onion stalks, chopped with green and white sections separated

2 tbsp. of soy sauce

1 tbsp. of Sriracha chili sauce (or less if you don't want it that spicy)

2 tbsp. of ketchup

2 tbsp. of cornstarch, mixed with 3 tbsp. water

1/2 cup of reconstituted mushroom water

2 tsp. of vegetable oil

Method:

Reconstitute the mushrooms by placing them in bowl of
hot water for about 30 minutes before cooking.
Reserve a half cup of the water for cooking.
Use only the top portion of the water, and not the bottom
portion where there is sediment from the dried mushrooms.

Dice the tofu into half inch cubes.

After the mushrooms have softened, dice them up
along with the eggplant. Mince the garlic and chop the
green onions, separating the green and white stem portion.

Heat the oil in a wok over high heat and saute the
garlic and white parts of the green onion for
about half a minute. Stir constantly to keep
from burning. Add the mushrooms and eggplant.
Reduce heat to medium and saute until
the eggplant has softened, about 5 mins.

Add the tofu, ketchup, Sriracha sauce, soy sauce and
mushroom water. Mix well and try not to smash the
delicate tofu. Bring to a gentle simmer then add
the cornstarch. When the liquid in the dish has
thickened, remove from heat and transfer to a
large serving bowl or ladle over rice bowls.

Garnish with remaining green onions.
I served mine over some brown rice. So satisfying!

This post was linked on Midnight Maniac's Meatless Mondays (MMMM) and Hey What's For Dinner Mom's Just Another Meatless Monday.