Fish and Tofu with Tausi

Cream Dory fish fillet is always available in the supermarket with prices as low as P110. I always keep a pack in the freezer so whenever the craving for fish fillet comes up, it's ready in the freezer. I used to prepare breaded fillet and put packs of it in the freezer. But there came a time when we got tired of it. So I just stick with the unprepared pack.

We love tofu. Fried, steamed, in soup, whatever! So today I thought of cooking the fish and tofu with tausi because it was a long time since I last cooked it.

This dish is very savory and even my son loves it. Pair it with hot steamed rice and you have got a meal fit for a king!

Ingredients:

1 pack Cream Dory fish fillet
10 small blocks of tofu or 2 big blocks
1 can or pack of tausi (fermented black or yellow beans, whichever you prefer)
a bunch of kinchay, washed and cut into 1"
1 big onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp cornstarch dispersed in water
extra cornstarch for fish fillet
cooking oil for fying
sugar, salt and pepper to taste

Cut the cream dory fillet into bite-size pieces and dredge in cornstarch. Cut the tofu into at least 1"x2"x1/2" pieces. A small tofu can be cut into 4 pieces.

Heat at least 2 cups oil in deep pan. Test temperature by dropping a small clump of cornstarch from the fish. If the clump floats immediately, the oil is ready. Fry the tofu until golden brown. Fry the fish until the coating is a little bit crunchy but do not cook fish thoroughly.

I bought whatever is available in the market but if you can get the Temple brand...

Heat oil in a separate pot or deep pan. Saute garlic and onion. Put tausi and saute. Put about 3 cups of water and soy sauce. Let it boil. Put the cornstarch while stirring to dispersed cornstarch. If the sauce is not thick enough put more cornstarch. Put sugar, about 2 tsp to even out the saltiness and to give the illusion of MSG.

Put the fried fish and tofu in the sauce and simmer for 10 mins to infuse the sauce into the tofu and fish and also to cook the half-cooked fish. Put the kinchay. Turn off the fire. Serve hot with steamed rice!

Spinach soup on a hot Sunday!

I can feel the summer heat already. Nights are becoming warmer and harder to sleep without airconditioning. But this did not stop me from making a big pot of soup. My family loves meals accompanied with a hearty soup. Today, I made a very easy soup to make. Spinach soup.

Spinach has become common in the market nowadays. One can buy spinach only in supermarket only five years ago. I think vendors become aware of it already. And I think a lot of local farmers are also planting them. Spinach has little flavor but despite of this it is loaded with nutrients. And because it doesn't taste much, it is easier for kids to eats this. It can be cooked in lots of possible ways.

I first encountered spinach soup in one of the Cantonese restaurant we frequented. It was divine and judging from the texture, I believe that I can easily make some at home. I made my own version. With my choice of assorted meat in it.

Ingredients:
A bunch of spinach
100g ground pork, shelled shrimps, or chicken
1 block of silken tofu
6 pieces meatballs with mushrooms, cut into cubes (1 ball=8)
10 pieces of black fungus (tenga ng daga), softened and cut into strips.
2 bouillons (pork, chicken or shrimp)
3 Tbsp cornstarch or potato flour, dispersed in water
1 piece onion, minced
4 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Heat 2 Tbsp oil in pot. Brown the ground meat. Saute onion and garlic. Then put 1 L of water.

Clean the spinach. Then puree in blender with 1 L water.

Put the pureed spinach in the pot. Bring to boil.

Put the tofu, fungus, meatballs into the pot. Let boil for 10 mins or until everything floats, it means the meatballs and tofu is cooked already. Put the cornstarch into the soup while stirring. If you are not satisfied with the thickness of the soup , you may add more cornstarch. Potato starch produces thicker soup and it does not break down like cornstarch.

Add pepper. If the saltiness is not enough, add salt.

Serve hot and add sesame oil, if desired.

Thai essentials...

Sour, salty, spicy, sweet and more! The experience your palate get when you eat Thai foods. Tom yum goong and sukhothai soup are my comfort foods added with a cup of Thai "halo-halo". I am so obsessed with Thai foods that I bought my own kaffir lime tree a couple of years ago.

Kaffir lime is the one of the most distinct flavors found in Thai foods. It is basically a kind of citrus fruit. Although it bares fruit they are rarely used. It is the leaves that is commonly added to the dishes.

My kaffir lime tree

The distinct "twin" leaves

 Since most of the members in my family are fond of spicy food, red chili pepper is a staple in our kitchen. I sometimes buy fresh chilis then let them dry under the sun to preserve them technically.

I almost forgot, there is also an ingredient usually found in Thai foods and its tamarind paste. I couldn't get tamarind paste so I opted for tamarind that goes by the bulk that is usually available in the market. It only costs P20 for a kilo.

 It is futile to take the seeds so I just put it in a pan with a little water and let it boil to extract the pulp. Then I just use sufficient amount and save the rest.

 It is also common to find cilantro leaves (coriander), which we call wansoy. A lot of people do not like the smell of it, I for one did not like it at first. It looks a lot like parsley or kinchay so be careful when you buy this.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

There is also an ingredient called shrimp paste. It must not be confused with bagoong. This shrimpaste is the dried extract of shrimps made into a cake. I found a similar item in Bicol but looks like Belacan, actually. I can't remember the name but I will update this blog as soon as I asked my friend from Bicol.

And of course the Fish sauce or patis as we fondly call it. I like the patis I usually get in Malabon but since I rarely go there, I just buy whatever available brand there is in the market. But be sure to buy the ones with the PATIS label on it because I saw some brands that say "PATIS FLAVOR", as I am sure its all artificial.

My next post will be a very simple Thai dish...Son-in-Law Eggs!