Tofu Steak Salad with Mango-Lime Dressing

• Tofu Steak Ingredients
  • 300 g (10.5 oz) firm tofu
  • 140 ml (1 c) vegetable broth
  • 60 ml (1/4 c) red wine
  • 60 ml (1/4) tomato juice
  • 10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil
  • 1 tbsp fresh minced sage
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp yeast extract (e.g. Marmite or Natex)
  • 1 tsp onion granules
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf

• Dressing Ingredients
  • 60 ml (1/4 c) mango juice
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) soy sauce
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp finely diced shallots (about 4 small Asian ones)
  • 1 tsp chopped pickled sushi ginger
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp sri racha (add more to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp liquid sweetener (brown rice syrup, agave, sweet freedom, etc…)
  • 1/4 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro)

• Salad Ingredients
  • 60 g (four handfuls) rocket leaves
  • 160 g (8-10 large leaves) romaine lettuce, cut
  • 250 g 2-3 inch cut asparagus pieces
  • 1 large onion, cut in half and into wedges
  • 5 or 6 radishes, sliced
  • Extra coriander/cilantro, to garnish (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. After pressing the tofu, slice it into six approximate 1/2 inch slabs, and then cut each slice corner to corner (to make triangles). Lay the slices in the casserole dish.
  2. Add all of the remaining tofu steak ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Once it boils reduce the heat to  medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. Strain the hot marinade over the casserole dish and leave the tofu to marinate in the broth for at least a couple of hours (or overnight).
  4. To make the dressing, blend all of the ingredients together using a spice mill, a pestle and mortar, or just cut everything up super tiny and leave the flavours to get jiggy with each other for awhile.
  5. Preheat a grill pan to medium heat, spray it with some oil, and slap the tofu pieces on. Cook them for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until you see the characteristic seered black marks (or “yum lines” as I call them).
  6. To cook the onion and asparagus, you can either fire up the wok or cook them on the same grill pan. Re-spray with some oil and pop ‘em on that hot surface, turning frequently to cook all sides (or if using a wok, stir fry them).
  7. To serve, place a couple of handfuls of lettuce on each plate, top with the cooked veg and radishes, followed by 4 slices of tofu per plate (make smaller portions for smaller sides). Drizzle dressing over to suit, and garnish with some roughly chopped coriander leaf.

Vegan Yum Som O (Thai Pomelo Salad)

• Ingredients
  • 1 Pomelo (approx 2.5lb or just over a kilogram)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
  • chopped chili, to taste (optional)
  • 3 tbsp toasted coconut
  • 3 tbsp ground peanut (use a pestle and mortar)
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup (75g) diced shallot, plus oil to fry
  • Chopped mint and coriander (cilantro), to garnish (optional)

• Directions/Method
  1. Cut and open your pomelo, collecting the fruit and any straying juice in a large bowl. Break any large pieces apart into bite sized chunks or strands. Mix the soy sauce, lime juice, sugar and chili and toss with the pomelo.
  2. Heat a wok or pan, with no oil, over medium to medium high heat and toast your coconut until it browns lightly. Tip it into a bowl and place the wok back on the heat to toast the sesame seeds for a similar amount of time until they turn a golden colour. Add to the coconut and leave to cool for a few minutes.
  3. Place the wok back on the head and add a half inch or inch of oil. Fry the shallots for a few minutes, keeping a close eye, until brown and crispy; there’s a fine line between this and burnt and you don’t want to cross it. Strain shallots from the oil and set aside to cool slightly.
  4. Toss the coconut and sesame mix, along with the ground peanut, with the pomelo and dish up. Divide the fried shallot between the two dishes, sprinkling on top. Garnish with chopped mint and coriander, if you please.

Kohl Rabi and Carrot Salad Recipe

• Ingredients
  • 2 Kohl rabi (approx 330 grams)
  • 2 Small carrots (approx 100g)
  • 1/2 Large onion, diced
  • 1/2 tsp minced ginger
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1-2 cloves garlic
  • 3 tbsp vinegar (white wine or cider)
  • 2 tbsp good quality soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

• Directions/Method
  1. Cut the kohlrabi into matchstick sized pieces or shred with a grater, whichever works best for you. I used a mandoline to julienne.
  2. Do the same with the carrot and combine in a large bowl before adding the chopped onion.
  3. Use a pestle and mortar to combine the sesame oil with the garlic and ginger. When you’ve achieved a nice even paste, add the sugar and other liquid ingredients. This method is optional (you can simply crush, mince, and mix), but worthwhile in my opinion as it really mixes the flavours well.
  4. Add the liquid with the vegetables and stir until covered. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until needed.

Roasted Red Pepper and Pomegranate Salad

• Roasted Tomatoes
  • 300g cherry or plum tomatoes
  • 1.5 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • Splash of liquid smoke (optional)

• Lemon and Olive Oil Vinaigrette
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/8 tsp mustard powder
  • 1/4 tsp agave nectar
  • 1/2 tsp fresh herbs (basil, thyme, rosemary, etc…)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

• Roasted Vegetables
  • 200g Courgette/zucchini, cut into 1 inch chunks
  • 170g Onion, cut in large chunks
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil

• Tempeh
  • 150g Tempeh
  • 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • Olive oil for frying

• Salad
  • Several clumps of your favourite salad leaves. You know, enough for two people sort of thing.

• Directions/Method
  1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees celcius.
  2. Put the tomatoes in to roast first as they could take up to an hour. Simply mix the tomatoes with the oil, vinegar, and liquid smoke (if using) and pop in the oven (remember to put them in some sort of roasting container before placing them in the oven). Set your timer for about 45 minutes, but this is dependent on the size of the tomatoes and how gooey or burnt you like them. I like them to be quite well done, so keep that in mind with your own times.
  3. While the tomatoes are roasting, prepare the dressing. With a pestle and mortar, pound the garlic with the olive oil and salt until you have a smooth paste. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and place in the fridge until ready to use. Note: you could use a blender of some form for this, but it’s a very small amount of liquid so keep that in mind.
  4. Now to prepare the other veggies for roasting. For the courgette, cut into thick 1 inch slices. If it’s a fat courgette, cut lengthways down its centre first so you have 1 inch halved slices. Make sure your chunks of onion are also relatively large (to keep them from burning to a crisp). Generally I will slice one half of an onion once or twice in line with the root, and then again across the middle if it’s a large onion.
  5. Mix the courgette and onion chunks with the rosemary and olive oil and pop in the oven for the last 25 minutes of the tomato cooking time. If these are finished before the tomatoes, however, that’s fine. They’re quite nice a little cooler as it’s a salad and all.
  6. The tempeh should begin its preparation about ten minutes before you’re ready to serve the meal. Begin by pounding the garlic so its juices are exposed, and mix with the lemon juice, soy sauce, and oregano. Heat a grill pan to a relatively hot temperature (this is always hard for me to gauge because I’m one of those unlucky folk who have to cook on electric) with plenty of olive oil for frying. Slice your tempeh into 4 triangles and dip each one into the broth to coat and then place immediately on the griddle (or, if you don’t have one, a frying pan). Fry on each side for about 3-5 minutes, or until crispy and golden grill lines are visible.