Tofu

Lord, was I craving tofu. Tofu, of all things!

• 500g package of firm tofu
• garlic scapes
• two small bok choy, about 1 kg
• garlic and ginger, minced
• sesame seeds
• sesame oil
• soy sauce
• steamed rice

I pulled this one together without following any recipes, and it tasted quite well. 

Wrap the tofu block in paper towels and place it on a plate. Put another plate on top and a heavy can on top. This is to squeeze as much water as possible from the tofu.

Trim the ends of the garlic scapes and chop them into 5 cm lengths. Later (as I was munching on these!), I realized that these things are like asparagus in that there is a point at which they will become fibrous and tough. Next time, I'll use the same method as I use for asparagus: see where they naturally snap and assume that from there on the vegetable is too tough to stir fry.

Cut the ends on the bok choy, separate and wash the leaves and cut them in half lengthwise. Quickly blanch them in boiling salted water, drain and reserve. Heat the wok, add garlic and ginger, fry until golden. Add the blanched bok choy and stir fry. Season with soy sauce to taste and remove from heat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and coat with a tablespoon of sesame oil. Ready.

Cut the block of tofu in half transversely, then into 5cm lengths crosswise and in half lengthwise. 

Wipe the wok clean. Heat it, add oil. Place the tofu chunks in the wok to fry undisturbed until it forms a crust. Flip to the other side and repeat. Once the tofu is golden, reserve. Add a bit more oil if necessary, fry some garlic and ginger until fragrant and then add the garlic scapes. Stir fry. Put the lid on and allow the vegetables to steam. Once the scapes are cooked - slightly wilted but still crunchy - return the tofu to the wok and incorporate. Season with soy sauce to taste and place on a serving platter.

Eat with steamed rice and jasmine green tea.