Monday 26 April 2010

Tofu part II

Roasting tofu is probably my favourite way of cooking it, it goes deliciously brown and crisp, and gives it such a lovely, succulent texture. I've had to guess at the quantities since I don't normally measure them, I don't think it matters too much.

Roasted Tofu with Satay Sauce

Ingredients

1 packet firm, plain tofu
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp soy/shoyu sauce
2 inch root ginger, peeled and grated
1 tbps red wine vinegar
little slug of maple syrup/honey (about 1 tsp)
1/2 tsp chinese five spice (optional but yummy)

Satay Sauce
2 rounded tbsp peanut butter
apple juice or water to thin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
good chunk of creamed coconut, grated
Good squeeze of lime juice

Method

1. Drain the tofu and cut into cubes, place in a large bowl. Mix the marinade ingredients and pour over the tofu. Leave to marinate for 1-2 hours.


2. Preheat the oven to 200 C /400 F /Gas mark 6.
3. Drain the tofu and reserve the marinade.
4. Lightly oil a roasting tin or baking tray and heat in the oven for 5 minutes. Add the tofu to the tray and bake in the oven for 25/30 minutes, turning once or twice during cooking so the tofu browns evenly.
5. Meanwhile, make the satay sauce. Put the peanut butter in a small saucepan with the reserved marinade and heat gently, stirring until smooth. Add water or apple juice to thin to the desired consistency. Add the spices, creamed coconut and lime juice and stir in.


6. You can serve the tofu in lots of ways, one of my favourites it to cut some veggies (carrots, celery, brocolli) into small pieces and lightly steam them, then layer the veggies, tofu and sauce over some cooked rice or noodles. Tasty good.



Tofu in the Springtime

Hello blog! I have the lurgy, it is rubbish but means I am off work, on the sofa wrapped in a blanket, so have a bit of time to update the ol' blog :D

First up here's the aforementioned tofu recipes I promised! I love tofu, and think it's bad name as 'crazy vegetarian food' is due to people not really knowing how to cook it. It can be bland, tasteless, and with a freakish texture. But it can be delicious, sumptuous and succulent if you do it right! I think the secret is a good marinade and cooking it so the outside sears and goes all golden and crisp.

So here's two of my favourite tofu recipes, both of which are nice Springtime meals!

Tofu Kebabs


These are an excellent in the Springtime, cooked under the grill, or in the Summer, grilled on the barbecue! Yum. I think the original recipe is from Leah Leneman's 'Easy Vegan Cooking', but I've adapted it a bit.

Ingredients

1 packet plain tofu (firm, not silken)*
mushrooms
green, red and yellow pepper
cherry tomatoes
red onion
courgettes

2 tbsps olive oil
2 tbsp red wine/cider vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp dried sage
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
good pinch of sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

*bbq tip - using frozen and thawed tofu means it firms up and holds together much better on the bbq


Method

1. Drain the tofu and cut into cubes.
2. Mix the oil, vinegard, mustards, herbs and seasoning in a large bowl. Add the tofu and stir to coat. Leave to marinate for 1-2 hours

3. Cut the peppers, courgettes and onions into bitesize slices, and thread the veggies and tofu onto skewers. Use the leftover marinade to brush the vegetables.
4. Grill under a hot grill or over a barbecue, turning occasionally and rebrushing with the marinade, until the tofu is golden brown and starting to crisp on the outside.


Delicious served with rice, new potatoes or pitta bread and mixed salads. Here I served them with homemade pitta breads (see Stitch and Boots for the recipe!)


Another tofu recipe to follow in the next post :D x


Saturday 3 April 2010

Colour Therapy






1. Relaxation
2. Magnolia in bloom
3. Tofu Kebabs (recipe in next post)
4. Florals x 3
5. Garden in the rain


At the moment I am trying to increase and appreciate the colours in my life. Partially inspired by Jek in the Box's fabulous Flickr page, she has such an amazing eye for happy colour combinations that just make me smile whenever I look at her pictures.

I've always been a bright colours girl, and I'm particularly reminded of it in Spring when the world seems to be finding its colours again. Easter especially is such a colourful time.

(As an aside, it breaks my heart that the word 'magnolia' has come to be associated with all things bland, colourless, plain and boring. Maybe the paint colour, but look at that tree! Nothing could be further from the truth. Bah. I always think they look like they belong on another planet, they're so beautiful and other worldly.)

Happy Easter folks. There will be a recipe post before the weekend is out!