Tantalising Watermelon Salad

 

This super easy salad is absolutely delicious on a hot day. 

Light and refreshing with a sparkle of flavors.

Tantalising Watermelon Salad

Ingredients

3 cups watermelon cubed or balled

1 medium cucumber

2 tablespoons fresh mint

1 cup tofu diced

2 tablespoons umeboshi vinegar

 

Dressing Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of a small lime

Generous pinch sea salt or to taste

½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste

Sprigs of mint

 

Preparation

Place the tofu and umeboshi vinegar into a small bowl and mix well. Set to one side and allow to marinate.

Score the skin of the cucumber with a fork. Cut into cubes. You can remove the seeds if preferred. I usually leave them.

Place the cucumber and watermelon into a salad bowl. Mix gently.

Place the dressing ingredients into a small bowl and whisk with a fork to combine.

Add the tofu to the salad. You can include any juice from the umeboshi vinegar.

Add the dressing and mix gently.

Right before serving, finely slice the mint leaves and sprinkle over the salad. If added too early, the mint can become brown.

Serve garnished with a few sprigs of mint.  Enjoy!

 

 

Hiziki for One

Hiziki with tahini and tofu

Hiziki is a wonderful addition to any meal. It is high in fiber and packed with minerals especially iron, calcium, and magnesium. This nutritious sea vegetable has a rich taste and delicate texture. When combined with tahini and tofu it makes for a nourishing dish with a deliciously unique flavor. Super great for the wintery time of the year. Enjoy! Love Chef Mel xx

Oh yes, and one more thing, hiziki is great for your hair!

Recipe: Ingredients: ¼ cup hiziki rinsed and soaked for 15 minutes - make sure use enough water as it will double in size 1 tablespoon tahini ¼ block tofu mashed Spring water 1 tablespoon ume vinegar Few drops shoyu 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley Preparation: Strain the hijiki and place into a pan. I don't use the soaking water because it is too salty tasting. Instead, use it for watering your plants Add enough fresh water to almost cover the hiziki and bring to a boil on a medium flame. Simmer with a lid on a medium low flame for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the tahini, ume vinegar and few drops of shoyu to the tofu and mash well. Add the tofu mixture to the hiziki and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Mix gently. If there is an excess of water remove lid and simmer on a medium high flame. Stir from time to time. Add the parsley, mix through and serve. Bring to a boil on a medium flame Mash the tofu Add the tahini, shoyu and ume vinegar Add the tofu mixture to the hiziki Add in the parsley Enjoy xx

Pan Fried Tofu with Spicy Garlic Sauce

 This is probably the best pan fried tofu you will have ever have. The secret is soaking the tofu in boiling salted water before frying. It makes for the most delicious and crispy dish which is light and nutritious. I have added a Korean style sauce with garlic for a zip and zing. 
By the way these recipes are teasers from my upcoming book.
Enjoy and happy holidays! Love Chef Mel x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pan Fried Tofu with Spicy Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

½ block firm tofu cut into rectangles – about 10

½ cup water

½ teaspoon sea salt

Sauce

1 clove of minced garlic

1 scallion finely sliced

Shichimi

1 teaspoon rice syrup

1 tablespoon shoyu

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 heaping teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Place the tofu into a bowl and add the salt.

Mix gently with hands.

Bring the water to a boil and pour over the tofu. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Remove the tofu from the water and place on a plate. Dry each piece of tofu with an unbleached paper towel.

Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil in a pan. When hot, add the tofu.

Fry on one side for about 3-4 minutes.

Turn over and repeat on the other side for another 3-4 minutes.

Remove and place on a serving dish.

Place garlic, rice syrup, shoyu and sesame oil into a bowl and mix together.

Add a generous shake of shichimi. Let sit for about 5 minutes and then put through a small strainer to remove the garlic pieces.

Add the scallions.

Pour the sauce over the tofu and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Nabe Style Cooking

Exert from Eat Me Now - One Pot Cooking

Often we feel that we have little time to cook healthy foods. We fill our lives with so many activities that we forget to nourish ourselves.  ‘One Pot’ Cooking is a great answer to those busy times and a fantastic way to put top quality fuel in our ‘gas tank’.. This style of cooking is considered to be one of the oldest and dates back many centuries. It has also been used throughout the world. One Pot Cooking is a quick and easy way to set hearty, satisfying meals on the table.

Another benefit to all-in-one cooking is that it saves time. It takes away some of the anxiety of trying to get many dishes finished at once. One pot cooking is a complete meal although a fresh salad or hot brown rice can add an extra dimension.

One-pot meals can vary from savory stews and spicy noodles to heartwarming skillet dinners. Plus, one-pot meals are a great way to use up leftovers and the combinations are endless.

Think about the clean up!  You don’t have to wash every pot in the kitchen. Furthermore, many one-pot meals are not particularly 'sensitive,' so you don't have to stand over them to make sure they cook 'on the dot.'

Nabe Style Cooking

Nabe meaning cooking pot is a complete meal because it contains noodles, tofu and vegetables.  It is a relaxing and nourishing dish that helps you to feel soothed after a busy day.  Nabe is also good for improving circulation and is very warming.

 

Ingredients:

 1 packet udon noodles lightly cooked for 1 minute and rinsed

 1 bunch watercress rinsed and sliced

1 cup winter squash finely sliced

 2 cups Chinese cabbage rinsed and sliced

 1 carrot washed and finely sliced

 2 shiitake rinsed, soaked for 10 minutes and finely sliced

 1 cup snow peas washed

Nabe

 1/2 block tofu cut into rectangles

 1 inch piece kombu rinsed

 6 cups spring water

Dipping sauce:

 3 tablespoons shoyu

 2 tablespoons mirin

 2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar

 1/2 cup spring water

 Shichimi 5 spice seasoning (optional)

Drop hot sesame oil (optional)

Garlic finely chopped (optional)

Ginger finely grated (optional)

Utensils: Traditional nabe pot or sturdy, deep pot with lid

Preparation:

Place the water and kombu in the pot and bring to a boil on a medium flame.

Remove the kombu and save for use in another dish. Meanwhile prepare the vegetables.

Arrange the vegetables (except for the watercress), noodles and tofu attractively in sections around the pot.

Cover with a lid.

Bring to a boil on a high flame. As soon as it boils, turn off the flame and add the watercress.

Mix the shoyu, mirin, vinegar and water in  a small bowl. This is the dipping sauce.

Serve from the pot: To serve, place a little dipping sauce in individual bowls. Add a selection of noodles, tofu and vegetables and pour the hot broth over the top. Garnish with a little 5 spice seasoning, garlic or hot sesame oil, if desired.

Note: A great variety of vegetables can be used. Try winter squash, summer squash, daikon, cauliflower, pieces of fresh sweet corn or string beans. The tofu can be deep-fried for a richer taste. Oysters or white fish can also be cooked in nabe.

Tofu Lettuce Wraps

Tofu Lettuce Wraps

This recipe is an adaptation from a wonderful dish that I experienced at a Japanese restaurant in Philly called Pod. The interior of Pod looks like a set out of the early Woody Allen movie, Sleeper and has wonderful lighting that softly changes color as you sample the delicious delicacies.

I have made the wraps a number of times to the delight of my guests and students. I was just in London this past week and included the recipe in a cooking class I gave there. I thought you might also enjoy the simple yet tasty dish that can be added to a festive meal or enjoyed with a sweet veggie soup and hot brown rice.

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Tofu Lettuce Wraps

Deep fried tofu

Ingredients:

1 block tofu cut into rectangles

Corn flour

1/2 cup roasted peanuts finely chopped

 1 tablespoon barley miso

 1 tablespoon rice syrup

1 tablespoon mirin

¼ cup water

 2 finely cut scallions

1 cup bean sprouts

Safflower oil for deep frying

Soft lettuce leaves rinsed

Preparation:

Gently pat the tofu dry with paper or cotton dish towels.

Toss in corn flour.

Heat the oil on a medium flame and then turn it to high.

Deep fry the tofu for a few minutes.

Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain.

Place the tofu, peanuts, sprouts and scallions into a serving dish. Season with a few drops of shoyu.

Put the miso, rice syrup and mirin into a suribachi. Mix well. Can add a little water to make a smooth cream.

For a spicy taste, add a dash of 5 spice.

Pour the sauce into a small bowl.

Place the lettuce leaves onto a plate.

Take one leaf; place a few spoonfuls of the tofu mixture in the middle and add a spoonful of sauce. Lightly wrap and enjoy!

By the way, you can also steam the tofu if you would rather an oil-free dish.

Soft lettuce leaves