One of the most popular Chinese dishes in the Islands is sweet-and-sour pork. But if you're trying to use more plant foods in your diet, consider making sweet-sour tofu instead.

I think this one is a winner — not too sweet, not too sour, just right. I laugh every time I watch comedian Rap Reiplinger's "Auntie Marialani's Cooking Show." When "testing" the wine, she would say, "Not too sweet, not too rancid, but just right!"

The secret of a sweet-and-sour stir-fry is in the sauce: My mom used cider vinegar and dark-brown sugar to get the right balance. The ketchup-shoyu combination I use here gives the sauce richness and color. And I like the mochiko, or sweet-rice flour, for a thickener because it has a smoother texture and seems to match, too.

I recommend making your own sauce as I've outlined below, but if you're having a lazy day, you can always go buy bottled sauce. There is a variety of brands; try a different one each time you make this recipe and see how they compare.

Recently, I bought some vegetarian citrus spareribs at C & C Vegetarian Foods Inc. and made the sweet and sour sauce below with the brown rice syrup. It was great although higher in fat content (9 grams) than the extra-firm silken tofu (.05 grams).

SWEET AND SOUR TOFU