Aloha Tofu Blog


Sesame Rice with Soybeans

Earlier this week on Tofu Tuesday, we re-posted a fantastic recipe for Sesame Rice with Soybeans including a video excerpt courtesy of Sam Choy’s Kitchen showing exactly how easy it is to make!  If the fact that it’s a one-pot meal isn’t enough of a draw for you, just look at how delicious the finished product is:

And of course the close-up:

We’ve all given this a taste and the flavors are spot on!

Need to taste it for yourself to believe?!  Well, then you’re in luck!

Come see us at the Makiki Community Church Farmer’s Market tomorrow (Friday, August 27th) from 4:30 – 7:30 pm.  Not only will you be able to purchase Sesame Rice with Soybeans, but we’ll also have our very popular Tofu Mousse in plain and chocolate flavors, Okara, Oboro-dofu, and of course, 10-oz. Firm Tofu.  You’ll be oh-so glad you did;-)

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Tofu Dango Miso Soup

When Allicia sent me this picture of her Tofu Dango Miso Soup, she said the dango was soft and gooey with a subtle tofu taste that complemented the miso flavor, but that its texture made it difficult to shape so although it tasted great, it didn’t look particularly appetizing.  I disagree.  It looks warm, comfy, and ready for some devouring to me:

In order to make Tofu Dango, Allicia mixed our soft tofu and shiratamako (Japanese rice flour, available at most Japanese supermarkets) until the ingredients had a soft, yet firm consistency comparable to the softness of one’s earlobes.

If you’d like to give dango-making a shot, she recommends that you start with a small amount of our soft tofu and add more to the flour as needed until you achieve the right texture.  Then, shape the dango into small, flat balls and place them in boiling water.  When the dango floats to the surface, it’s finished!

Tofu Dango can add volume and texture to all kinds of meals–including salads, shaved ice, Azuki beans, or a delicious bowl of Miso soup!

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Natto?! Not oh no!

For those who aren’t particularly familiar with Japanese fare or perhaps shy away from more adventurous edibles, the word natto can send shivers down the spine.  It’s a popular food in Japan and with many locals here, but its slimy texture and potent smell are like impossible palate obstacles to the more apprehensive of us.

Well, Paul wasn’t a natto fan either…that is until Misa came along and prepared a meal that would transform him from a never-natto-guy to a whenever-natto-guy!

That’s right, it was Natto Spaghetti that did the trick!  Prepared simply with ume, green onions, dashi and soy sauce, this tasty dish will coax even natto skeptics into giving it a go.

According to Misa, Aloha Tofu founder Kamesaburo Uyehara appeared on a Japanese television program sixteen years ago and he too commented that, “Natto is good for your body, but I don’t eat that.”

I bet if he had a taste of Natto Spaghetti he might feel differently;-)

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Hiyayakko

For those who weren’t in the know previously (like me!), Hiyayakko is a very simple Japanese cold tofu dish with toppings.  It is usually prepared as a supplement to a main dish or as an appetizer, but it’s quite versatile in that it can be changed according to the type of toppings you wish to use.  As Allicia shows us here, the ease of these dishes doesn’t detract from how delectable they look:

This version features a special chili oil (Allicia’s favorite!).

The Hiyayakko in the forefront is topped mostly with sliced aburaage, and tastes a lot like a tofu version of cone sushi!

Here, Hiyayakko is prepared traditionally, with Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), green onions, and soy sauce.

The Hiyayakko look so appetizing, I want to try them all!

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Originally when we began our photo project here, we wanted to showcase amazing homemade dishes from our Aloha Tofu ohana to demonstrate how our products can be incorporated in as many recipes as your imagination can dream up!  We have received such kind feedback and a few requests for recipes, and have decided to try our best to post recipes for the most popular dishes (i.e. those most requested!).  We may not be able to provide recipes for all of them, but if we can work out measurements we’ll definitely get those most coveted onto the blog.  So, if you see a dish that catches your eye and neeeeeds to be in your stomach, please make sure to email us and send us a recipe request!

Mahalo for your support and keep on cookin’!

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Online store opening…soon!

To our wonderful patrons, curious visitors, and tofu enthusiasts–

We love tofu, and we know you do too.  We are incredibly grateful to have such loyal customers and welcome everyone to get to know us and the quality tofu products that we make for you.

Many have been so supportive that they’ve inquired about when Aloha Tofu merchandise will be available for purchase online.  While it’s taking a bit longer than expected, our online store will be up and running…soon!  We are stocking up some fantastic T-shirts, caps, and more–so it’ll be well worth the wait!

Mahalo for your patience and understanding…it’ll be just a little while longer, we promise!

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Dinner with Allicia

Our sales rep Allicia is quite smart about the way she incorporates Aloha Tofu products into meals for her family.  Let’s see what she’s cooked up recently:

Kimpira Konnyaku with gobo and sesame seeds, flavored with soy sauce, sugar, mirin and the secret ingredient–mayonnaise!  This is a pretty healthy meal…you know, except the teaspoon of mayonnaise part;-)

Okara Mochi with green onions, flavored with soy sauce and sugar.

Tofuburg–comprised of tofu, pork, caramelized onion, and panko flakes with a sauce of tofuburg juices, ketchup, Okonomi sauce, red wine and sugar.

Allicia’s dinner table looks super yum, and four of these dishes used Aloha Tofu products!  Her family’s verdict?  They loved ‘em all, of course!  The Kimpira Konnyaku was the big winner of the night, followed by the Tofuburg (which was moist and tender the next day too, according to Allicia’s dad), and last, but certainly not least, the Okara Mochi, which was firm but definitely still lovable!  Keep making delicious meals Allicia, and we’ll keep drooling with our eyeballs;-)

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Brownie me, s’il vous plait.

The sweet tooth–it coaxes even the most steadfast of us to yield to its sugary demands. The toothsome treats circulating here at Aloha Tofu are very difficult to resist, and clearly you can see why:

Our bookkeeper Jackie makes the most fantaaaastic Okara Brownies.

They are luxuriously rich, but utilize okara to up the nutritional factor!  She’s still tweaking the recipe right now, but until then, trust me–we are more than willing to indulge in taste testing along the way;-)

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Misa’s Kitchen

It seems like every week, Paul’s wife Misa manages to make the most amazing entrees–

A couple of weeks ago it was Ohitashi — an aburage and choy sum stir-fry with dashi (the perfect meal for the weight watcher!)

This week it’s Pork-rolled Tofu and Broccoli — flavored with teriyaki sauce

The younger Uyeharas loved this dish because the pork, tofu, and broccoli flavors marry together so well!

It made for a perfect component in a thoughtfully made bento–proof that just because it’s summer for the kids, a busy mom’s work never goes on holiday:-D

We can’t wait to see what comes next from Misa’s kitchen!

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Fans from Afar – Part IV

Our next fan hails from the Sunflower State!  Chet lives nearer to the burgeoning Kansas City, Kansas, but that’s not to be confused with the destination most people think of as Kansas City–which is actually in Missouri!  Thanks for the clarification Chet;-)

He was kind enough to send us pictures of his son Brett, sporting an awesome Aloha Tofu cap outside the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City, Missouri…where Brett narrowly avoided collision with a gigantic badminton shuttlecock!!

Luckily he was a champ and didn’t let the statue’s imposing presence on the front lawn intimidate and managed to regroup for a picture perfect shaka from across the sea in the City of Fountains.

Mahalo to Chet and Brett, you guys are awesome fans!  And we totally echo the sentiment, Aloha Tofu No Ka Oi!

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Tofu and more!

Sure, we love our tofu–like the new recipe for Tofu Chazuke the Uyehara’s recently tried out…

which was really easy to make!

All you need to do is microwave some tofu in a bowl of water, add any toppings you’d like, then add the chazuke mix.

We know Paul enjoyed it, and bet you will too!

BUUUT, we’re not just tofu!

With so many Aloha Tofu products at our fingertips we love trying out recipes for everything–

including this moist Okara Chocolate Banana Cake that our sales rep Allicia whipped up!  She said that the recipe involved a surprisingly minimal amount of sugar–using ripened bananas instead as a sweetener.  Her kids loved this, and it’s making me hungry just looking at it!

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