Crispy Baked Tofu and Pork Su Ma Po Dofu with Spicy Cucumber Salad served with Basmati Rice and Store- Bought Kimchi

Theses recipes are Tweaked from the Culinary Institute of America’s Healthy Kitchen Healthy Lives Conference 2022. Subsequently, these recipes have been used for Teaching Kitchens at my home. This recipe has become a staple for me, with the majority of ingredients in my pantry and freezer. I recently discovered Idaho Capital Asian Market on Cole and UStick, a must visit if you need to stock your pantry. Serves four generously.

Crispy Baked Tofu and Pork Su Ma Po Dofu with Spicy Cucumber Salad served with Basmati Rice and Store- Bought Kimchi

1 block (12 to 15 ounces) organic extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch dice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot starch

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

2 Tbsp canola oil

2 tsp Sichuan pepper

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp chili bean paste

3 green onions, 2 minced, the other sliced for garnish

2 tsp minced ginger

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound ground pork

2 Tbsp dry sherry

2 Tbsp + 2 tsp light tamari or soy sauce

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 English cucumber, unpeeled

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 Tbsp sugar

2 Thai chilis, thinly sliced

1 shallot, thinly sliced

Handful each of fresh cilantro and mint, coarsely chopped

Kosher salt, as needed

1 cup of basmati rice, cooked according to package instructions (cook with filtered water)

Store-bought kimchi

TOFU

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the tofu from sticking.

To prepare the tofu: Drain the tofu and use a tofu press to further dehydrate. Purchase on Amazon https://a.co/d/0NDGHvP. This takes around 20-30 minutes. Place on a clean paper towel. Cut in the horizontal plane into 2 blocks and then further divide each block into 20 dice. Carefully, further dry tofu.

In a medium mixing bowl mix olive oil and tamari. Transfer the tofu. Sprinkle the starch over the tofu, and toss the tofu until the starch is evenly coated.

Tip the bowl of tofu over onto the prepared baking sheet and arrange the tofu in an even layer. Move the tofu to the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until browned. Meanwhile, start the pork.

PORK

Combine the oil and Sichuan pepper in the wok and carefully heat until the pepper starts to brown and becomes fragrant. Using a skimmer, remove all the pepper from the oil and discard.

Add the chile bean paste, green onions, ginger, and garlic to the oil and cook until the mixture is fragrant on medium heat. Raise the heat to medium-high, and add the ground pork, stir frying until the meat is cooked through. Add the dry sherry and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Season with soy sauce to taste and cook another minute or so. Shut off heat and keep covered. You may need to reheat for a minute prior to serving.

When ready to serve, top the heated pork with the crispy tofu.

Adjust the seasonings to taste. Serve garnished with green onions.

CUCUMBER

In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. While still hot, add the chili and shallots. Let cool. Cut the cucumber into 1/8-1/4 inch slices. Add the fresh herbs. When ready to serve, add the vinegar dressing and mix gently. Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.

TO SERVE

Create a bed of rice. Top with tofu and pork. Add cucumber salad and kimchi on the side. Garnish with additional green onions.