Light and Easy: Pan-Fried Tofu and Chahan

See, the cool thing about being freelance is the appeal of working from home most of the time. This means I have complete access and time to prepare a home-cooked lunch as opposed to spending something I'm either not too keen about or something times five the real cost.

Fresh ingredients, healthy oil and MSG free, these are just some of the things that make me enjoy eating at home.


Today, I had some leftover pimiento from last week's pastel, and remnants of minced onion from last night's chahan. Opening the fridge, I decided to use the only thing on the rack as the main dish:


PAN-FRIED TOFU WITH CHAHAN



1. First, purchase Japanese tofu. I'm not a big fan of local tofu with that funny smell and sour after-taste. The one I use comes in a white box with a green seal. Drain it and slice.
2. Drizzle some sunflower oil into a pan and pan-fry both sides until golden brown.
3. Set aside.


SAUCE


Mix together in a small bowl: soy sauce (Kikkoman rocks!), cane vinegar, brown sugar and minced red onions. Stir stir stir.


CHAHAN


1. Cook rice. Japanese grains, of course.
2. Mince garlic and red onions. Set aside.
3. Dice green and red bell peppers, and carrots. Set aside.
4. Scramble 2 eggs and shred. Set aside.
5. Chop finely leeks.
6. I opt not to put meat in my chahan but feel free to add diced beef or shrimps.
7. Prepare Teriyaki Sauce. If you're not too keen about laboring over this, feel free to use the prepared bottled teriyaki sauce. However, if you opt to make your own, mix the following: soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, wine, cracked pepper and grated ginger. Stir. Again, apologies for the missing portions. There are standard recipes available online for sure.
8. When everything is ready just throw everything together: Sautee garlic. When golden brown, toss in the onions. Immediately mix the carrots to soften. Keep mixing. Next, blend with the peppers. Stir. Stir. Stir. Add the cooked rice and mix evenly and thoroughly. Blend in the teriyaki sauce. Then just keep that spoon moving so that it browns evenly on all the grains. Add the shredded scrambled eggs and leeks. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper. For an added zest, add a few drops of sesame oil.


Quick, fuss-free (well, the chahan requires time for multiple chopping), light but hearty :-D