Ma Po Tofu

I should hate this dish: it has tofu, brown rice, and ground pork, three things I'm not really so crazy about. But dang it tastes good! And as it turns out, the brown rice is essential to the flavor of the dish. I've added extra here to give really fussy kids something to stuff themselves with if they won't touch the tofu . . .

Two tricks make this work: first, you have to press the tofu to remove a lot of the moisture. Second, you have to be patient while the tofu fries, letting it get a nice golden-brown color. If you're pork is too lean, you may want to actually stir-fry the tofu separately in a little oil ahead of time, then go back to step #7.

And actually, here's a third trick: if the word "tofu" scares your kid, just lie and say it's chicken. Or pork. Or Tuna. Whatever works.

This recipe feeds five pretty comfortably.

Ma Po Tofu

2 x 14.5 oz. packages of firm or extra-firm tofu

1/2 lb ground pork

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and chopped (or grated)

5-6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup chicken broth

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons oyster sauce

4 cups cooked long-grain brown rice

1/2-1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce

1/2 cup chopped green onions, to garnish

1. Start your rice. Brown rice can take a little longer to cook.
2. Line two plates with paper towels. Slice each cake of tofu width-wise into six smaller cakes. Place half the cakes on one plate, the rest on the other plate. Cover the tofu with another layer of paper towel, then place a heavy plate on top. Allow to sit for half an hour or so.
3. Chop up the garlic and the ginger. Combine and set aside.
4. Chop up the onions. Set on the table for garnish.
5. Combine the broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chili sauce. Stir well. Set aside.
6. Cut each of your 12 tofu cakes into 8 roughly one-inch square pieces. You should be able to do this while they're still sitting on the plates.
7. When you know the rice is close to being done, heat up your wok or a non-stick frying pan. Add the pork and crumble for two minutes. It may still be pink. Don't worry.
8. Add the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for 30 seconds or so, until it becomes fragrant.
9. Add the tofu. Cook for six minutes or so, allowing it to become firm and golden brown. If the pork or the tofu start to stick, use your spatula to scrape under the meat. That way you won't break apart your nice tofu squares.
10. Once the tofu is lightly golden, add your broth mixture and mix lightly. Bring to a boil and cook for two minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
11. Serve the tofu over rice. Top with green onions.

Family ratings on a scale of 1-10:

Lucy, who will eat the onions raw: 10

Will, who likes it but deducts points for "spiciness" purely out of principle: 7

Jamie, who honestly believes he's eating chicken: 9