Ginger Spice To Go

My god my head is buzzing with potential posts and posts-in-the-pipeline but you'll have to wait for them because quite frankly there isn't enough time. Like, right now I have to go as baby Earthly no. 2 wants food... Ok, back again. So yes, coming soon: an upcycled dress project; corset progress (including all the fun and faff I've had in fitting it without a dressform!); a design for a bee-yoo-ti-ful fitted crocheted waistcoat and about a dozen recipes.


But first. A ginger recipe. Ginger has been big in our house (er, boat-thing. You know what I mean) recently due to all the colds and germs, and also because we happen to love it. Actually I've grown to love it. Maybe, like olives it's an 'adult' taste (though I know a fair few kiddies, including my own son, who love olives). Anyway, fresh ginger really is awesome and if you haven't tried many recipes using it, I suggest this is the perfect introduction. Because it is just danged well tasty.


Ginger Spiced Tofu
This is based loosely on our all-time favourite dish (Pad King) from our local Thai restaurant. It's a dish we kept coming back to and wondering how they got it so darned tasty (at the same time trying to ignore the fact that the stock tasted almost too good to be vegetarian). So after many experimentations in our own kitchen, we arrived at this recipe which may not be authentically Thai, but is nevertheless tangtastically tasty and endlessly moreish, not to mention 100% vegetarian (and vegan too).


Ingredients
Deep fried tofu (available ready-made from Asian supermarkets)
Red pepper, cut into large pieces
White onion, cubed
Broccoli florets
Handful of mushrooms
Tin/packet soy beans
2 spring onions, chopped into large segments
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
About 4 inches of root ginger, sliced into thin strips
1/4 pint veg stock thickened slightly with approx 1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
1 tbsp honey
Black pepper to season
Holy basil (if you can find it) or normal basil


If you can't get the ready-fried tofu you can of course make your own but unless you're Asian or simply have superior wok skills the chances are you just won't get the same texture, but it will still be tasty! Throw the pepper, onion, broccoli, mushrooms, garlic and ginger into a wok or frying pan with some oil and sauté for a few minutes without browning the garlic. Add everything else, except the spring onion and basil and simmer for about 15 minutes until all of the veg is tender but not mushy! Before serving add the spring onion and basil (if you have the patience, deep fried holy basil adds a real authentic touch and is extra yummy). Serve with rice and a nice Thai white wine :)


And yes, I know the picture is awful. Give me the time (like more than 2 seconds) and I'll give you a decent food shot (maybe!)