Tofu with pork and kimchi sauce

Meaty and spicy sauce poured over silken tofu makes this protein anything but boring! This quick tofu with pork and kimchi shows how a simple block of tofu can be transformed into something spectacular.

Serves 4 people


Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 blocks of tofu
• 150 grams of pork, finely sliced and cut bite size
• 150 grams of kimchi, chopped bite size
• 4 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp, finely chopped ginger
• 1clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp  sake
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp white miso
• 1 1/3 cup chicken broth
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp potato starch mixed with 1tbsp cold water

Directions:

1. Wrap tofu in paper towel and leave for 10 minutes to remove excess water. Cut into bite size cubes and set aside.
2. In a large pan over high heat, add vegetable oil, garlic and ginger. Fry for 2 minutes. 
3. Add pork and cook for 2 minutes, until cooked through. Add kimchi and cook for another minute.
4. Add chicken broth, sake, soy and miso paste, and stir well. Turn down the heat to a simmer.
5. Add tofu cubes and stir well.
6. Add potato starch mix and stir well until the sauce thickens (add more if you prefer thicker).
7. Turn the heat off, add sesame oil and scallions and season with salt and pepper.
8. Serve with warm white rice.

Cherry blossom festival

Who doesn't like looking at the beautiful cherry blossoms! They are such a big part of Japanese culture as they celebrate the arrival of spring time and symbolize the extreme beauty and fleeting nature of life (cherry blossoms quickly bloom and die), which comes from Buddhism.

Hanami, which literally means flower viewing, is a popular activity all across Japan. Families and friends will bring a picnic and settle under a fully bloomed cherry blossom tree, spending the day enjoying the weather, eating bento style food and drinking sake. There are also hanami festivals and foods created specifically for this event. Kit kat makes a special cherry blossom green tea flavor only available during that time as well as Starbucks with a special cherry blossom and white chocolate frappuccino. In fact, it is such a popular practice that meteorological agencies track the sakura zensen (cherry blossom front) to alert the population of the arrival of hanami.

Cherry blosson green tea Kit Kat only sold during hanami season.

Nowadays, cherry blossom trees and festival have become popular in the United States and other countries too. You can usually find a hanami festivals where there's a large population of Japanese immigrants, such as California, New York City and Washington D.C, which has the largest amount of cherry blossom trees in the country.

Hanami usually happens between March and May, so this is the time to go for a picnic and enjoy the beauty of spring with its bright pink flowers adorning our parks and streets.