Southern Asian Fusion

When I watch reality cooking shows I love the episodes where the chef-testants have to fuse together two entirely different cuisines. I think of much of my cooking as fusion and think it is incredibly fun to cook that way. Not only am I always coming up with new dishes, but I'm also teaching myself new tricks. 

If I was on a cooking show today and pulled both Asian and southern cuisines, I wouldn't know what to cook. But today's dish is awesome tasting and shows that Asian and southern cuisines actually can go well together. 

Read on for my yummy Hoisin Glazed Tofu and Southern Veggie Medley. 

Hoisin Glazed Tofu and Southern Veggie Medley - serves 4

1 block of firm tofu, sliced into thin rectangles 

3 tablespoons oil, divided

1/4 cup hoisin sauce 

2 tablespoons soy sauce 

2 tablespoons lime juice 

2 teaspoons honey 

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 cobs of corn, steamed and kernels sliced off cobs 

1 small eggplant, finely diced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced into half moons 

1 cup of grape tomatoes, halved 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

1. Start by frying your tofu slices in 2 tablespoons oil in a large pan. Fry until crispy on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. 

2. While tofu is frying, start your veggies. Sauté eggplant and onion in remaining tablespoon of oil until soft. Then add in corn and tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

3. Next, mix up the sauce for your tofu. Whisk together hoisin, soy, lime juice, honey, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil. Pour sauce over tofu, while it's still in the pan, as soon as it's crispy. Let tofu cook another minute or so to soak up some of the sauce. 

4. Serve a spoon of the veggies with a few pieces of tofu on top. Drizzle a little of the hoisin sauce on top, if desired.