Big Burger Ballyhoo 2007 : Tofu Burger

I'm not really a hamburger connoisseur, but I've suddenly developed an urge to sink my teeth into a big, juicy burger with all the works after watching "Pink Panther", particularly this scene. Could this be a conspiracy by the hamburger industry to transform us into hamburger - chomping - special - sauce - dripping - from - the - sides - of - our - mouths junkies ?!? Haha ... no I'm not crazy. You know how when you have a song stuck in repeat mode in your head? In my case, it was that scene as I was whipping up this recipe for the Big Burger Ballyhoo 2007. Even as I was grinding the ingredients for my entry, I swear I could hear the food processor yelling, "I WOULD LIKE A HAMBURGER !" with a french accent each time I hit the pulse button.

For this burger recipe, I'll be going the m00-friendly route with a healthy hand-crafted meatless Tofu Burger variation. Instead of regular tofu, I've chosen to use Chinese baked tofu. They have a firmer texture than regular tofu and are available in two varieties: plain white pressed tofu and seasoned brown five-spice tofu. I went with the latter. Its convenient and I can use the leftovers in a cucumber tofu salad or a snack later.

As for the buns, I cut a few slices of multi-grain bread into 3-1/2 inch rounds, pan-fried them lightly with a dash of olive oil and added a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Yummy ... I'm definitely saving some to make canapes later :)

Back to the tofu burgers, I have decided to pan-fry them but by all means, go crazy with the barbeque. These tofu burgers are definitely grill-friendly. I browned a couple of these tofu patties to a golden perfection, and smothered over some pan-fried crunchy sweet sugar snap peas, sliced button mushrooms and fresh cut cucumbers. I don't know if there's a magic dressing for a tofu burger, but a spread of my Spicy Pesto Sauce mixed with honey dijon mustard and my taste buds are ready to do the Conga :)


Tofu Burger Recipe ( for 2 patties )

Ingredients :
4 blocks baked five-spice tofu squares, cut into 4 quarters
( each block is 2x2 inches and 1/2 an inch thick )
1 tbsp chopped green onions
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Sweet Chili Sauce ( I used a Thai brand : Mae Ploy )
2/3 cups dry breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 tsp sesame oil
black pepper, salt and sugar to taste

Method :
1) Blend all ingredients ( except breadcrumbs ) in a food processor until a smooth texture is formed.
2) Pour mixture into a large bowl. Add breadcrumbs and mix well.
3) Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Shape mixture into 2 patties. Freeze the tofu patties for 5 minutes.
4) Place patties on skillet or grill ( oiled ) and cook for 3 minutes on each side until browned.

Burger Buns :
4 slices of multi-grain bread, cut into 3-1/2 inch rounds, lightly pan-fried with a dash of olive oil with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds ( or use regular burger buns )

Burger Dressing :
Spicy Pesto Sauce
Honey Dijon Mustard
Paprika
Cayenne Pepper

Note : Regular firm tofu may be substituted if five-spice tofu is unavailable. An alternative to sweet chili sauce is Asian Teriyaki Glaze or Sauce. It will then be a Teriyaki Tofu Burger :)

Happy Chinese Valentine's Day

"Chap Goh Meh" is a term in the Hokkien dialect which literally translates to "the fifteenth night". This auspicious occasion which falls on the first full moon of the Lunar New Year also marks the fifteenth and final day of the Chinese New Year festivities. This year, "Chap Goh Meh" falls on the 4th of March. The usual Chinese celebrations include feasting, eating "Tangyuan" (Glutinous rice flour balls served in boiling water), and the Lantern festival.

However, in South East Asia, this day is also celebrated as Chinese Valentine's Day. In the days of old, this is the only day of the year when unmarried couples are allowed to be seen together with each other. As for single girls, one of the traditions in Malaysia include the throwing of tangerines into the sea. This is done in hopes that it will be found by their soul mate. Maybe it will work even better if they write their name, phone number, email address with permanent ink on the tangerines. Haha.. just kidding about that writing down of the particulars part. Don't try it at home !

I was thinking of my late granny when she told me that funny tangerine tossing Chinese Valentine's Day tradition. Jellyfish and cucumber salad was one of her favorite munchies when she was playing mahjong during Chinese New Year. I guess a part of her must have rubbed off on me as I develop a craving for it every time Chinese New Year comes around.

Using some of my favorite Asian salad ingredients like cilantro, green onions, and the flavorful chinese five spice tofu, here's a quick and easy recipe for a jellyfish salad. I bet you will love this jellyfish salad, it is simply refreshing, a great light snack suited for the spring and summer.

Tips : Cooking jellyfish

1) In a hot boiling pot of water, drop the jellyfish in, and cook for about 1-2 minutes, depending on which part of the jellyfish is used. If its the head is used, it will need a longer time to cook. Check for consistency after a minute into cooking time.
2) Rinse in cold, icy water. Drain off excess salt, pat dry and chill in the fridge until cold.

Jellyfish Salad Recipe

Ingredients :
shredded chinese five spice pressed tofu
shredded cooked jellyfish
chopped cilantros
shredded green onions
100% pure sesame oil
low sodium soy sauce

For stuffing : cucumber cups ( remove core )
Before serving : toasted sesame seeds and paprika powder

Method :

1) Mix all the ingredients together and let chill for 10 minutes.
2) Scoop the jellyfish into the cucumber cups. Lightly sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds and paprika powder before serving.

Egg Tofu Scallopini

I'm a big fan of beancurd, also known as "tofu". You can find them in a various textures in any Asian grocery stores today. There is the run-of-the-mill firm white tofu for deep frying or stuffing with fillingss; the soft, silken ones for soups or stewing; the 5-spice and cured white ones for salads and stir frying; and last but not least, the thin sheet kind for wrapping deep fried vietnamese shrimp patties. Today, I am going to share my favorite kind with you - the Japanese Egg Tofu . These are vacuum- packed in plastic tubes, medium-soft textured, and the color is slightly off-white. It turns a mild shade of yellow when cooked and has an eggy taste to it as it melts in your mouth. For those living in the Los Angeles area, you can only find this delicious egg tofu at the Hawaii Supermarket in Monterey Park.

I have never lost my craving for egg tofu ever since I moved to the States, and it was pure joy when I rediscovered them. Mom used to buy them for me almost every other week at the wet markets back home. They come in chicken, shrimp, and egg flavor. Actually, you can even mold them by mashing regular tofu with eggs or other ingredients to your liking, steam them and store them in the fridge to pan fry or cook any way you want it later. Trust me, it is worth the hassle if you're a tofu lover like me and want to try a different style of preparation. The "99 Ranch" Asian grocery stores around Los Angeles also carry a similar kind. But they are simply plain white tofu in a tube, not the eggy kind that I have liked from young.

Without further ado, here is how I prepared my quick meal using egg tofu. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do :)

Sizzling Egg Tofu Recipe

Ingredients :
2 tubes of egg tofu
10 peeled shrimp
handful of bay scallops
minced chicken breast ( OR any other meats )
chopped green onions
shaoxing wine ( OR any other cooking wine )
white pepper
sesame oil
1 tbsp Poloku seasoning ( is a all 100% mushroom and vegetable seasoning, you can substitute this with your choice of brown sauce, ie. oyster sauce )
salt to taste
10 oz water
cornstarch solution

Method :
1) Cut the tofu in one inch slices and pan fry both sides until lightly brown, then set aside.
2) Sautee the green onions, scallops, shrimp and minced meat.
3) Add a dash of white pepper, a splash of cooking wine, and water.
4) Mix in the mushroom seasoning, sesame oil, and salt to taste.
5) Stir in the cornstarch solution, cook to a boil, simmer for a minute or so.
6) Pour gravy over tofu.

And there you have it, a yummylicious dish of sizzling egg tofu on the wok. Optionally, you can also stir in an egg into the gravy as it is boiling for that extra OOMPH :P