Tofu and Mushroom Salpicao

Tofu and mushroom salpicao is made by sauteing tofu and mushroons in a sauce made by garlic, soy sauce, oyster sauce, worcestershire sauce, honey, pepper, garlic powder and garnished with spring onion. This tofu and mushroom salpicao is a hearty and no-guilt dish best partnered with a big bowl of hot steaming rice. If you’re a fan of mushrooms, then this tofu and mushroom salpicao is the perfect dish for you.

TOFU AND MUSHROOM SALPICAO RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 500 grams tofu
• 198 grams mushrooms
• 4 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• Chopped spring onions (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Wash and prepare the tofu. Then, slice them into cubes.
2. Heat a little oil in the pan. Sear the tofu cubes for a few minutes until it forms a brown crust. Transfer them to a container. Set aside.
3. Wipe the tofu residues in the same pan. Add a little oil and then saute the minced garlic. Lower the heat to medium to low then add the mushrooms (drained). Let the mushrooms cook for around 4 minutes.
4. Add the butter and melt it together with the mushrooms in the pan. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, Worcestershire sauce and honey. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens.
5. Add the seared tofu back to the pan and toss gently until well coated with the salpicao sauce. Season with pepper and garlic powder. Stir and let it simmer for a few more minutes. Turn the heat off.
6. Transfer the tofu and mushrooms salpicao to a serving plate. Sprinkle with freshly chopped spring onions. Enjoy this as an appetizer or have it with a lot of hot steaming rice. Yum!

WHAT IS TOFU AND MUSHROOM

Tofu and mushrooms are the two main ingredients for this salpicao dish.

Tofu is made from fermented soy bean curd which are pressed and packed into white blocks. With its high protein content, tofu is considered on of the best plant-based meat alternatives.

Mushrooms are one of the underrated ingredients. Usually, they are only used for garnish (such as for burger steak) or as a flavoring (mushroom gravy). Have we really known how mushrooms taste like?

Actually, there is a wide variety of mushrooms out there. The most common ones you see from the canned goods in the groceries are the button mushrooms. These are small and brown which are served sliced or whole. Meanwhile, you can see enoki mushrooms usually served at k-bbq restaurants. They are white and long with a small tip. They are usually grilled and eaten with meat. Oyster mushrooms are giant mushrooms which are intentionally grown for consumptions. They are either made into mushroom sisig or mushroom chicharon.

Aside from those mentioned, there are 14000 more varieties of mushrooms out there. But take note that only around 200 of them can be eaten safely. If you want to learn about growing your own mushrooms at home, there are many reliable sources online that you might wanna check.

WHAT IS WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

Among the condiments, the Worcestershire sauce is the hardest to pronounce. (Haha). I used to call them “Lea & Perrins” to make my life easier but then I found out that Lea & Perrins is just one of the brands. While Lea and Perrins are the ones credited for the invention of the Worcestershire sauce, there are other Worcestershire sauce brands you can try.

What makes Worcestershire sauce stand out among the other condiments and seasonings? Let’s just say that this sauce is a special sauce which contains every flavor you can imagine. Malt vinegar, spirit vinegar, refiner’s molasses, sugars, salt, anchovies, tamarind extract, onions, garlic, spices and seasonings– the uniquely designed combination of these ingredients made up the Worcestershire sauce we know today.

But did you know that the Worcestershire sauce was invented by accident? Moreover, the ones who discovered it (Wheely Lea and William Perrins) were chemists and not cooks!

These chemists stayed for a long time and India and were interested with one of the sauces they enjoyed there. After returning to Worcester, it was known that the Governor of Bengal asked these chemists to make the sauce enjoyed in India so the two created different concoctions. Their concoctions were not successful in imitating the great Indian sauce so they just stored them in the cellar.

After quite a time, they found out that the concoction they made fermented through time. Still not tasting the same as the Indian sauce, but their concoction now tasted richer and better. This is how the Worcestershire sauce was born. With the success of this sauce, many other people in the same area made their own version of the sauce, resulting in different brands. Even though all Worcestershire sauce has a list of ingredients in the label, they said that some ingredients were still a kept secret.

TOFU AND MUSHROOM SALPICAO

Just came home from the grocery after emptying my condiments after a whole month of cooking. Tofu and mushroom salpicao is my go-to dish whenever I buy a new bottle of Worcestershire sauce. What’s a salpicao dish without the Worcestershire sauce, right? As one of the king condiments, the Worcestershire sauce can make any dish extra palatable and more enjoyable.

While tofu is very common, mushroom is not. It was actually the first time my niece encountered a dish made with mushrooms (she only see’s mushrooms on her pizza and on plants VS zombies). When I showed her the canned mushrooms from the grocery, she told me it wasn’t mushrooms because “where is the head?”. I then explained that these mushrooms are already sliced.

With a vast variety of edible mushrooms, the most convenient to procure would be the canned ones. Most of the time, these are the button mushrooms. With this featured recipe, let me share with you a very hearty dish which will make you appreciate mushrooms more.

While salpicao can be made with any meat of your choice, this dish hits really different when made with tofu and mushrooms. With the tofu being a plant-based meat alternative and the mushroom being a low calorie veggie, this dish presents a super nutritious and delicious dish with less of the guilt!

HOW TO MAKE TOFU AND MUSHROOM SALPICAO

Making some tofu and mushroom salpicao is truly easy and simple. This quick recipe can be done in just minutes!

Start by preparing the tofu. Instead of frying them, we simply sear them for a brown and crispy crust with a soft and smooth inside. The next ingredient to prepare is the mushrooms. There are a wide variety of mushrooms out there, but for convenience, we’ll use the canned ones. These mushrooms are actually ready to eat, so we’ll just cook them just a bit to heat them a little. Remember that mushrooms are still delicate so lower the heat setting when cooking them. Melt the butter and then add the seasoning ingredients. The most important among them salpicao seasonings is the Worcestershire sauce.  

Our goal for the sauce is to be thick enough to coat the seared tofu. Add the tofu back to the pan and then toss gently. When done, transfer them to a serving plate.

I usually enjoy my tofu and mushroom salpicao as a side dish or appetizer. Since it has plant based proteins and veggies, this dish can be a great ulam with hot steaming rice. Yum!

COOKING TIPS

• You can opt to use sugar as the sweetener if honey is not available.
• Be careful of simmering the sauce for too long since the sugar/honey might taste burnt.

Tofu and Mushroom Salpicao Recipe (TAGALOG)

Mga Sangkap:

• 500 grams ng tokwa
• 198 grams ng mushrooms
• 4 butil ng bawang (hiniwa ng maliliit)
• 3 kutsarang toyo
• 2 kutsarang oyster sauce
• 4 kutsarang Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 kutsarang honey
• 1/2 kutsaritang garlic powder
• 1/2 kutsaritang paminta
• spring onions (hiniwa)

Paano Lutuin:

1. Hugasan at ihanda ang tokwa. Hiwain ang mga ito ng cubes.
2. Magpainit ng konting mantika. Isangkutsa ang mga tokwa ng ilang minuto hanggang maging brown ang crust nito. Ilipat sa lalagyan at isantabi.
3. Punasan ang mga natirang tokwa sa kawali. Maglagay ng konting mantika at gisahin ang bawang. Babaan ang apoy saka ilagay ang mushrooms. Lutuin ito ng 4 minuto.
4. Ilagay ang butter at tunawin kasama ng mushrooms. Sunod na ilagay ang toyo, oyster sauce, Worcestershire sauce at honey. Hayaan itong maluto hanggang lumapot ang sauce.
5. Ibalik sa kawali ang mga tokwa at haluin para malagyan ng sauce. Hayaang manuot ang sauce ng ilang minuto bago patayin ang apoy.
6. Ilipat ang tofu and mushrooms salpicao sa serving plate. Budburan ito ng spring onions bago kainin. Enjoyin ito bilang appetizer o samahan ng mainit na kanin. Yum!