By Request

BETTY SHIMABUKURO

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Pork tofu and teri chicken
provide comforts of home

That triple combo of soy sauce, sugar and ginger is the basis of so many simple, reliable and familiar dishes.

The two recipes that follow are so basic that many home cooks carry versions around in their heads. They're great for beginners who'd like to put something on the table that speaks of home.

John A. Fujioka is seeking a pork tofu recipe like his mother's. He remembers it having sliced pork, onions and mushrooms, as well as tofu. "You could even eat it right out of the skillet."

Nelson Kaneko, meanwhile, writing from Renton, Wash., wants a basic recipe for chicken teriyaki.

Well, get out the shoyu bottle and the ginger grater. If you haven't had a nice steaming dish of pork tofu or a plate of homemade teri chicken in a few years, this will remind you of how savory and comforting something so simple can be.

The recipes come from the Maui Extension Homemakers' Council cookbooks.

One note on the tofu recipe: It seems to call for very little liquid, just 1/3 cup of soy sauce, but it is plenty. Enough water comes out of the tofu, even as it absorbs the sweet soy-ginger flavors, to provide lots of sauce for spooning over hot rice.

Pork Tofu

1/2 pound lean pork, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
8 to 10 stalks green onion, in 1-1/2 inch lengths
1 pound tofu, drained and cubed
>> Sauce:
1/3 cup soy sauce
2-1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon slivered or grated fresh ginger

Combine sauce ingredients; stir to dissolve sugar and set aside.

Stir-fry pork and onions in oil until pork is nearly cooked through.

Pour sauce over pork and onions and simmer 5 minutes.

Gently stir in tofu cubes so that they are well-coated with sauce and turn light brown. Spoon with lots of sauce over hot rice. Serves 4.

Variations: You can stir in up to 1 cup of watercress, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, beans or sliced carrots without increasing the liquid in the pan.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 370 calories, 20 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, greater than 1,200 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, 34 g protein.*

Teriyaki Chicken

2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, washed and patted dry
>> Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon sherry
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, chopped

Combine marinade ingredients and pour over chicken pieces. Marinate in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove chicken from marinade and place skin side up in a greased pan. Bake 1 hour or until cooked through. Chicken may also be grilled over hot coals. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 360 calories, 21 g total fat, 6 g saturated fat, 100 mg cholesterol, greater than 1,300 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 24 g protein.*

Can you help?

Zenia McGlasson wants to make a Filipino dessert called Diced Hopia, which is like the mung bean-filled turnovers sold locally, but smaller, cube-shaped and with a softer exterior dough. If you have this recipe, please get in touch.

Food Stuffs: Morsels

Send queries along with name and phone number to:
"By Request," Honolulu Star-Bulletin,
500 Ala Moana, No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813.
Or send e-mail to bshimabukuro@starbulletin.com

Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the Body & Soul section indicates calculations by Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.