Sam’s Sesame Coated Tofu & Green Bean Stir Fry
Vegetarian and Vegan friendly
Prep & cook time: 40 minutes + marinating time of 2 -12 hours
Serves 4
I love Japanese flavours, especially pickled ginger, which is a fabulous way of lifting a dish and keeping it lovely and fresh. Tofu is so often ignored or overlooked – but I see it as the perfect vehicle for other flavours. I’m fond of using the rice and grain medley as a staple for salads – it’s an excellent base for just about anything you like – be it roast winter vegetables and a bit of chevre; or folded together with some hot-smoked salmon, shaved fennel, capers and dill.
Tofu Stir Fry Ingredients
400g firm tofu
1 tbsp miso paste
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
1 lemon
2 cups Alison’s Pantry rice & grain medley
3 tbsp Alison’s Pantry ground almonds
2 tbsp Alison’s Pantry sesame seeds
2 tbsp flour
Salt and pepper
Cooking oil
Large handful of green beans
2 tbsp pickled ginger, finely sliced
1 spring onion, shredded
1 tsp Alison’s Pantry sesame seeds, to serve
Cut the tofu into 4cm chunks. Combine the miso paste with 2 tbsp of soy sauce and a tbsp of sesame oil and a squeeze of lemon. Drizzle over the tofu and gently toss together so that the pieces are well covered. Cover and pop in the fridge, leave to marinade for a couple of hours, or overnight, if possible.
Add the rice and grain medley to a saucepan, cover with water and leave to simmer gently over a moderate heat for 15 minutes. Drain once cooked.
In the meantime, combine the ground almond, sesame seed, flour and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Spread out on a plate and then dredge the tofu through so that it is covered on all sides.
Get a frying pan going over a moderately high heat. Add some oil, let it heat up and then gently fry the tofu until golden brown on all sides. Wipe down the pan, add a little sesame oil and quickly fry the green beans for several minutes. Add the rice and grain medley and quickly heat through, followed by a little soy sauce to taste and the ginger. Toss through the tofu pieces, then scatter over the spring onion and sesame seeds and serve.
Kelly’s Curried Vege Fritters
Vegetarian friendly
Prep and cook time: 45 minutes
Serves 4
These irresistible, tasty fritters are one of my favourite suppers. The warm spices and hearty salad have the bright flavours that I love on a cold winter’s night.
Fritters
¾ cup Alison’s Pantry rice & grains medley*
3 large leaves kale, stems removed
3 free range eggs
1 carrot medium, grated
1 cup pumpkin, grated
1 spring onion, green part finely sliced
¾ cup flour (can use regular flour, spelt flour or GF flour)
¾ cup Alison’s Pantry roast unsalted cashews, roughly chopped
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin powder
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sea salt
Cracked black pepper to taste
Oil for frying
Winter Slaw
½ medium green cabbage
1 carrot medium, grated
¼ cup Alison’s Pantry sultanas or raisins
½ cup Alison’s Pantry walnuts, roughly chopped
¼ cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
Handful fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
Use a sharp knife or a mandolin to thinly shred the cabbage. Combine in a bowl with the other winter slaw ingredients and stir well. Taste and season generously. Place in the fridge if not eating within an hour (otherwise fine to leave on the bench).
Place the rice & grains medley in a medium saucepan along with ¾ cup of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and place a lid on tightly. Leave to sit for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and allow to cool for 30 minutes (the rice can be cooked the night before to make assembly quicker).
Chop the kale finely. Combine with the cooked rice and all the remaining ingredients. Mix well and season generously.
Heat a generous glug of oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat. Cook ¼ cups of batter for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Keep fritters warm in an oven heated to 80 degrees. Repeat the process until all the batter is used.
Leftover fritters and salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days.
*Alternative grain
Quinoa works very well in this recipe also. Simply replace the rice (and rice prep) with 1 ½ cups of cooked quinoa. You can cook the quinoa up to 24 hours in advance to make the fritter prep easier.
Idea’s to make more of the dish
- Leftover fritters are delicious as a vegetarian burger patty. Wrap in a lettuce leaf or sandwich between your favourite bun. Pair with some spicy chutney, some hummus and fresh salad greens
- Ditch your usual toast and use these fritters as a base for scrambled or poached eggs. This is a fabulous brunch dish!
- Break reheated fritters up into chunks and scatter over a big green salad for a yummy lunch.