There’s nothing like a snowstorm over a long weekend to sell yourself on the idea of staying in and committing to the couch. It’s a long weekend in Canada, we have Family Day in Ontario tomorrow and we’ve been blanketed by a blizzard that seems to be causing havoc across most of the country. I’ll be honest, I kinda miss this type of snowfall! When we were kids this was a common occurrence, but days like this seem few and far between now.

I, for one, love getting out there to enjoy a laborious walk through the deep snow with my dog and the rest of the family–well, those that I can convince to come with me. I'll be heading out this afternoon with Angus and a shopping list to prepare a few new recipes I’m working on. I will be sure to head to one of his favourite parks to let him drudge through the deep snow until he’s too exhausted to continue.

This clay pot tofu recipe is the perfect way to warm up after a day of winter fun. I did my best to edit this one down to a super easy-to-follow 6-minute video. I encourage you to give it a shot, warm yourself up, and let me know how it goes!

Happy Family Day weekend to my fellow Canadians, and just a general happy weekend to our American friends–which you will always be, no matter who tries to convince us otherwise.

Please enjoy this video of Angus checking out the new path my son dug out for him in our backyard.

Prep: 15 minutesCook: 20 minutesServings: 4

Ingredients

* 1 large thumb-sized knob of ginger

* 1 bunch green onions

* 5 cloves garlic

* 3 cups high-quality chicken or vegetable stock

* 1 block of firm tofu

* 2 eggs, beaten

* 1 cup all-purpose flour

* Neutral oil (for frying)

* 2 tbsp sesame oil

* ¼ cup light soy sauce

* ¼ cup Shaoxing wine

* 1 tsp white pepper

* Salt, to taste

* Optional: 1 tsp MSG

* Optional: Dried Chinese mushrooms, rehydrated

Equipment

* 7” or 10” clay pot, or any shallow pot

* Medium frying pan

Method

Step 1: Prepare the Aromatics and Broth

* Peel the ginger and slice into thin discs.

* Smash the garlic and roughly chop.

* Thinly slice the white part of the green onions, saving the green tops for later.

* Heat a clay pot over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil.

* Sauté the ginger, white parts of the green onions, and garlic for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.

* Add the chicken stock, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, salt, and optional MSG and mushrooms. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer.

Step 2: Add the Tofu and Braise

* Remove the tofu from its packaging and cut into equal 1 cm thick slices.

* Dredge each slice in flour, shaking off the excess, then coat in the beaten eggs.

* In a shallow frying pan, heat 2-3 tablespoons of neutral oil over medium heat. Fry the tofu in batches until golden brown on both sides. Add them directly into the simmering broth.

* Add the tops of the green onions to the pot and finish with a drizzle of sesame oil. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Step 3: Sides

* While the tofu braises, blanch gai lan or your preferred greens in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and coat with a drizzle of oyster sauce thinned out with a bit of water.

* Prepare some steamed Thai Jasmine rice as you normally would.

Serve the braised tofu in your favourite soup bowl with your greens and rice on the side!

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