New twist on an old favorite

Poor, poor tofu. Tofu is often misunderstood and even avoided because people think it’s a strange food that lacks taste. While it is naturally plain in flavor compared to other foods, it’s so versatile!  I love using it as a meat substitute because it’s  a guilt-free, filling, and satisfying ingredient.

I purchased a huge block of fresh, firm tofu from the little tofu corner inside one of the local markets. Only 88 Yen! I decided to use it in an old favorite: Lion’s Head (Unappetizing name for giant Chinese-style meatballs over greens).  I usually make this recipe using ground beef or a mixture of ground beef and pork. This time, I drained and pressed half of the tofu and mixed it in with the meat mixture and cooked it as usual. I served it with steamed spinach over barley rice. Taste-wise, it was pretty much the same but not as heavy and oily as it’s all-meat counterpart. In the future, I’d like to try this recipe again but with a higher ratio of tofu to meat, or maybe even an all-vegetarian version.  Could I still call it Lion’s Head if it’s vegetarian? ^_^