As a high-school teacher in Japan 13 years ago, Jin Hirata was perpetually battling illness.

“I got sick monthly,” he recalled. “I blamed the students, but not all the teachers got sick.”

Hirata was stressed out and looking for something new, so in 2003 he quit his job and moved to New York, where he taught English — and got even sicker. Diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, he took some medication and was so weak he almost died. “I got a rash all over my body, and I couldn’t move,” he said. “I could barely breathe.”

After reading a book about macrobiotics, he put himself on a diet of brown rice, miso soup, beans and vegetables, and within a few weeks he had recovered.

Hirata attended a macrobiotic school, and for the past 10 years he has worked as a dietary health coach promoting a diet of whole, mostly plant-based foods.

But don’t presume that Hirata’s food advice consists of a prescription for endless green salads and bland tofu. He travels between his home base in New York to his first home in Japan — with stops in Honolulu — to share original, flavorful, easy recipes disproving the notion that healthy food means boring food.

During his most recent visit last month, Hirata demonstrated the many uses for tofu with a spring menu he served up at CookSpace in Kakaako.

“Tofu is a very versatile ingredient. You can fry it, put it in soup, make desserts,” he said.

Case in point: a delicious Japanese-style mock fried chicken, tofu seasoned with a marinade of soy sauce, sake and ginger. He noted that tofu has a lower fat content than chicken.

“All kinds of fried foods are meat, meat, meat,” he said. “This is a healthier version.”

Unlike traditional fried chicken, his version was not deep-fried. With just a thin layer of oil in the pan, the morsels were thoroughly cooked and crisp in about five minutes.

Those helping in the kitchen were amazed at the aroma wafting from the stove — it was identical to fried chicken and had stomachs rumbling.

The final test, of course, took place at the dining table. The general consensus: Hirata’s fried “chicken” was a worthy stand-in for the original.

MASTERING TOFU

Beyond dropping cubes into miso soup or garnishing it with ginger and soy sauce to eat cold, preparing tofu can be a challenge. Its watery, soft qualities make cooking and seasoning it no easy feat. But address those issues, and tofu becomes a most versatile ingredient. Here are a few tips from Hirata, who uses hard tofu regularly in his dishes.

>> Freezing: This changes the texture so that it is more resilient and meatlike. Its sponginess helps it absorb marinades.

>> Drain with a weight: Wrap a block of tofu in a cloth, place it in a colander, and place a weight on top. Drain at least 30 minutes. With the water removed, the tofu becomes harder so that it can be sliced into steaks for a main dish.

>> Bake or toast: Place slices in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes. The resulting firmer pieces are less likely to crumble.

>> Simply drain: Let tofu sit in a colander for an hour or two. For a delicious parfait, Hirata blends drained tofu with vanilla, and maple and agave syrups, then tops it with fresh fruit.

JAPANESE-STYLE FRIED ‘CHICKEN’

• 1 block tofu
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sake (substitute with mirin)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• Safflower or other vegetable oil, for frying
• Flour, as needed for coating

Freeze tofu block. When ready to cook, thaw in colander to begin draining excess water.

In cheesecloth or paper towels, place chunks of tofu; wrap and squeeze to remove more water.

In big bowl, combine soy sauce, sake and ginger. Marinade should taste a bit too salty; it will be toned down by water in the tofu. (If it seems overly salty, add water by the tablespoon to adjust.)

Break off bite-size pieces of tofu by hand, give them another quick squeeze over the sink, then place in bowl to soak in marinade. Marinate 30 minutes to overnight.

When ready to cook, in frying pan on medium-high, heat a thin layer of oil.

Sprinkle flour over bowl of marinated tofu. Mix until flour is absorbed onto surface. Sprinkle with more flour; mix. Continue adding flour and mixing until all the pieces are lightly but thoroughly coated in flour.

Add pieces to pan and fry until all sides are well browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serves 4 to 6.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 4 servings and 20-ounce firm tofu, 1/4 cup flour and 3 tablespoons oil): 250 calories, 17 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, no cholesterol, 500 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 14 g protein