Gloomy weather, be gone!  There’s a new gloom-buster in town and its name is Porridge or Lugaw. And like any superhero, it came with a sidekick, “Tokwa’t Kabute”, not to be mistaken with the first sidekick, but not very AstigVegan, “Tokwa’t Baboy”.

“Tokwa’t who?” Okay, my story may sound a bit cryptic but “Tokwa’t Baboy” or “Tofu and Pork” is a popular side dish to a bowl of Filipino porridge soup called “Lugaw”. The two go so well together, they make a perfect tandem like Batman and Robin.

Interestingly, Lugaw and Tokwa’t Baboy are Filipino favorites not only during the cold season but on hot days as well. Even in a sweltering, hot humid country like the Philippines, a bowl of Lugaw with Tokwa’t Baboy never miss to hit the spot.

To Astig Veganize it, I substituted pork with Shiitake mushroom, a unique kind of mushroom that’s now in season, not to mention, it brings something new to the palate than the usual white button.

INGREDIENTS: (Makes 4-6 servings)

• 1 pack extra firm tofu, cubed (Make sure to squeeze extra moisture. I wrapped it with paper towel)
• 1/2 pound Shiitake Mushroom, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• cooking oil

PROCEDURE:

1. In a non-stick pan, over high heat, pour 3 tbsp cooking oil and fry the tofu until crispy
2. add shiitake mushroom, mix and simmer for 3-5 minutes
3. In a sauce pot, over low heat, combine soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, onion, salt, and brown sugar for 5 minutes
4. Combine the tofu and mushroom to the mixture for 1-2 minutes then quickly transfer mushroom and tofu to a serving bowl.
5. You’re done!

NOTE: Don’t let the tofu and mushroom sit too much in the sauce. It can get extremely salty, especially if you’re eating it by itself and not with porridge or any other entree. After combining the ingredients, instantly remove the tofu and mushroom from sauce and serve in a separate bowl.

I let the sauce sit for awhile during the shoot, but it's actually important to remove them quickly as it can turn very salty.

I made my Lugaw, Goto style (pronounced Goh-toh) with lots of innards, mushroom innards that is, hehe.  Basically, I used Maitake mushroom to substitute for pork intestines. Maitake is usually expensive but like Shiitake, it’s the season for it so the prices have gone down. Both mushrooms are available at most grocery stores. Feel free to try these exotic ingredients and let me know what you think!