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tofu

Asparagus and Tofu Stir Fry

Posted on June 8, 2021

Asparagus and Tofu Stir Fry with Chilli and Sesame

Asparagus and crispy tofu stir fry made with ginger, garlic and chilli oil. Perfect as a side dish or as part of a main if served with noodles or rice. Made in less than 15 minutes this recipe is perfect for a week night meal or as a light lunch option. This easy stir fried recipe can be prepared the night before to make it really quick to make on the day.

What’s in the recipe?

Asparagus- When asparagus is in season it’s beautiful to cook with. I’ve bought locally grown asparagus, roughly chopped and added to the stir fry.

Tofu- I like using Cauldron Tofu which is soaked in a water bath, simple drain the water and press. If you don’t have a tofu press, just wrap in a bit of kitchen roll and allow to soak the excess water.

Cornflour- If you toss the tofu in cornflour and fry in sesame oil, it’ll create a lovely crispy coating before adding the marinade. It’s a good cooking hack to help absorb any excess moisture in your tofu.

Chilli oil- I love using Pippy Eats chilli oil, it’s perfect for garnishing tofu or stir fried vegetables such as this. If you don’t have chilli crisp oil, definitely look out for some next time you’re in the supermarket.

Cooking tips:

Medium Heat- It’s tempting to whack the heat right up to get ‘crispy’ tofu however you run the risk or burning the marinade. I would suggest a good quality non stick pan, medium heat and allow the tofu to crisp on each side before turning.

Fry First then Coat- I prefer to fry the tofu in a bit of corn flour to crisp and turn golden before adding the marinade. It helps prevent the garlic and ginger from burning and give it just enough time to cook off the ingredients.

Don’t overcook the asparagus- By adding the asparagus to fry only for the last 3-4 minutes will allow it to cook until a little tender without burning.

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Asparagus and Tofu Stir Fry

Asparagus and crispy tofu stir fry made with ginger, garlic and chilli. Perfect as a side dish or as part of a main if served with noodles or rice. Made in less than 15 minutes this recipe is perfect for a week night meal.

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Prep Time 3

Cook Time 12

Servings 2 People

Ingredients

350 g block of tofu
1 heaped tbsp cornflour
200 g asparagus locally grown if possible
3 large cloves garlic
1 thumb sized piece of ginger
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp chilli crisp oil if you don’t have this, add 1 tsp chilli flakes to the marinade

Instructions

Drain & cube the tofu block and toss in the cornflour, fry in a non stick pan with a drizzle of sesame oil
Prepare the marinade by mincing the garlic and ginger then add to a bowl with the oil and tamari and whisk together
Once the tofu has crisped, add the marinade to the pan and continue to fry on a medium heat
Chop the asparagus and add to the pan to fry for a further 2-3 minutes
Serve up and drizzle the chilli crisp oil over the top & enjoy

Notes

If you don’t have chilli oil, add 1 tsp chilli flakes to the marinade
I used Pippy Eats chill crisp oil
Serve as a side or add sticky rice or noodles with more chilli oil

If you like this recipe why not try my Easy Tofu Ramen

Dinner Recipe

Tilda Teriyaki Tofu & Rice Bowl

Posted on October 15, 2020

How to create a teriyaki rice bowl in less than 20 minutes:

Tilda have launched Japanese Teriyaki Limited Edition rice which I’ve used to create the ultimate Teriyaki dish. It’s packed with flavour and is vegan, gluten free and really easy to create.

What’s in the recipe?

Tilda Japanese Teriyaki Limited Edition rice- This one is made up of sticky jasmine rice, spring onions, carrots, crunchy water chestnuts mixed with soy sauce, sugar and mirin (flavours that are typically used in teriyaki marinade). It can be heated in the microwave or added to a stir fry depending on what’s easier. It’s ready to eat in just 2 minutes.

Tofu- I’ll share tips on how to make this super crispy and full of flavour. You can swap this out for any plant-based protein source of choice.

Mirin- This is a sweet Japanese wine however you can swap this for Sake (with a slightly higher alcohol content) or for white wine with 1 tsp of sugar added.

Tamari- This adds a beautiful umami flavour to the tofu as well as a saltiness. You can swap this for soy sauce.

Snap Peas- Depending on what is in season / available, you can swap these for pak choi, choy sum or tenderstem.

What is Teriyaki?

To be broken down, ‘teri’ means the shine or luster on food from the sugar content (think of a really beautiful glaze) and ‘yaki’ is the cooking process of grilling or broiling (being exposed to a really high heat).

Bringing the rice bowl together:

By marinating the tofu beforehand, it gives it time to absorb the flavours from the mirin, sugar, tamari, garlic and ginger. You can marinade for 10 minutes right up to 10 hours if you have time.

If you wanted to keep this as traditional as possible, grilling the tofu on a high heat would give those beautiful charred lines, resulting in a crispy edge and a soft centre. If it’s easier you can use a griddle pan, place on a high heat then sear each side of the tofu until cooked.

When the tofu has crispened, add a splash of water to the griddle pan along with the sugar snap peas then place a lid over the top to quickly steam.

I chose to heat the Tilda Japanese Teriyaki rice in the microwave for ease and served alongside the vegetables and tofu. It was ready in 2 minutes (great if you’re in a hurry and need something tasty fast).

Teriyaki Rice & Tofu Bowl

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 13

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

1 pouch of Tilda Japanese Teriyaki Limited Edition Rice

For the marinade:

200 g drained tofu cubed
3 tbsp light soy sauce or tamari
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp mirin sub for sweet white wine
1 clove garlic minced
2 cm piece ginger grated

To garnish:

1 small carrot grated
90 g sugar snap peas
3 spring onions

Instructions

Prep the marinade by whisking the ingredients together in a bowl, cube the tofu and add then mix together *you can marinade overnight or for 5 minutes*
Add to a hot non-stick pan and fry on each side for around 3 minutes
Once browned on each side add 90ml water to the pan, add the sugar snap peas and place a lid on top to steam for around 3 minutes
Tear the rice pouch slightly then heat into the microwave for 2 minutes
Prep the carrot and spring onions to garnish then bring the bowl together by adding the hot rice, tofu, sugar snap peas, carrot and spring onion
Enjoy!

You can find the recipe and step by step videos for the process over on my Instagram here.

Dinner Recipe

Chilli Corn Pho (Tips for Crispy Tofu)

Posted on September 30, 2020

Crispy Tofu Every Time in this Chilli Corn Pho

I use this base of sesame, chilli, garlic and ginger for so many dishes. This variation is a simple tofu noodle dish using charred corn and tenderstem. I’m sharing tips on how to get crispy tofu every time (which is just down below in the recipe tips section).

Breakdown of the Recipe:

What is pho?- Pho is a Vietnamese dish that consists of a broth with rice noodles (usually including vegetables and meat, but this time we’re making it vegan). Now the ingredients I’m including are typically found in British supermarkets, whereas if you were keeping this more traditional you could include ingredients such as Thai Basil, sriracha, bean sprouts and a vegan fish sauce. However today I’m sharing a much simpler cheat style version which will still create a delicious meal but slightly less authentic. If you do want an authentic Pho I’d recommend searching for those recipes online – they are delicious.

Tofu- I used to hate cooking with tofu from getting a bad outcome every time. But I’ve shared some tips on how to get a delicious crispy flavour packed tofu every time (just below).

Garlic & Ginger- The epic combo of garlic and ginger, this time I’ve grated them however you can finely chop them if that’s easier. They add a really delicious flavour to the dish and are essential.

Rice Noodles- You can use whichever noodles you have available however rice noodles are usually used within pho recipes. Depending on which region of Vietnam, the thickness of the noodles may change. I’ve opted for flat rice noodles in this recipe.

Tamari & Sesame Oil- I use these ingredients whenever making a marinade or a stock as they work really well together. The tamari gives a lovely umami flavour with the nutty undertones coming from the sesame oil.

You can find my recipes on Pinterest or Instagram

Chilli Corn and Tofu Noodles

Crispy chilli corn and tofu noodle bowl. Really simple to make and a delicious stock recipe that you can use in multiple recipes.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 12

Marinating time 30

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

For the stock:

2 tbsp sesame oil
⁣3 cloves garlic
⁣Thumb sized piece of ginger
⁣2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
⁣1 tsp chilli flakes
⁣1 stock cube
⁣700ml boiled water
⁣1 tsp sugar optional

The main ingredients

300 g drained tofu
100 g corn
120 g rice noodles any noodles will work for this dish
3 spring onions
6-8 tendetstem

Instructions

Simply grate the ginger, mince the garlic and add to a large bowl with the soy sauce, chilli flakes, sugar and sesame oil
Whisk together then add the sliced tofu (either cubes or cut into triangles) and leave to marinade for minimum 30 minutes
⁣Place the boiling water into a pot with the stock cube and give a good stir
⁣Place the marinated tofu into a non-stick pan and fry on a high heat for around 5 minutes on each side, adding the corn to the pan when you're cooking the final side of the tofu
⁣Place the rice noodles and tenderstem into the pot with the stock and bring to a low simmer for just a few minutes until cooked
⁣Combine the stock to the marinade and enjoy!
*tip, leave a few pieces of tofu aside to add on top so they stay nice and crispy
Bring the stock together with the corn, tenderstem and tofu, garnish with chopped spring onions, and sprinkle a few chilli flakes on top

Notes

Cooking tips for crispy tofu.

drain the tofu by wrapping in a clean tea towel or kitchen roll and press to absorb any excess moisture
Leave to soak up excess liquid for a few minutes
Slice into smaller pieces, either cubed or thin triangle pieces
Marinating the tofu for a minimum of 30 minutes will help give a delicious coating to fry
Fry on a high heat on a good quality non-stick pan

If you like this recipe, why not try my Gyoza Chilli Noodle Soup.