Recipe: Very vibrant salad with tasty tofu

Very vibrant salad with tasty tofu. Photo / Kieran Scott

Serves: 2 | Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes

This super-tasty and healthy dish gives you a great dose of colourful veges packed with goodness. The tofu offers protein and texture, while the seeds are full of good fats and minerals. It is one of our favourite light meals and always leaves us feeling great. The secret is to be as creative as you can, and just as with the Special Fruit Breakfast, find the combinations that most delight you.

Tofu
• 1 packet tofu, standard or firm (not silken)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, chopped finely
• 1 tablespoon sweet vinegar (e.g. white balsamic, honey and cider vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon Kikkoman soy sauce

Seeds
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon Kikkoman soy sauce (optional)

Salad veges
• 1 carrot
• salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon sweet vinegar
• ½ tablespoon light oil (flaxseed oil is amazing, you can also use grapeseed or canola)
• 1 small beetroot
• 1cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
• 4 lettuce leaves
• ½ celery stick, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 10cm piece cucumber, thinly sliced
• ½ coloured capsicum, thinly sliced
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 8 cherry, 4 small or 2 medium tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs: parsley, coriander, basil or a mix you like
• 1 cup bean sprouts (alfalfa or a mix you like)
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• ½ cup sliced spring onions, cut on the diagonal

To prepare the tofu: Tofu is something that soaks up other flavours, and I love it with garlic and soy. To cook tofu, cut the block into pieces approximately 3cm × 2cm × 2cm. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on a medium heat and add the tofu. Allow to cook on one side for about 3 minutes to brown, then stir every couple of minutes for another 5 minutes until the pieces are browned on most sides. Add the garlic and toss for 30 seconds, then pour the vinegar and soy over, and cook for another few minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed and the tofu is nicely coated, then remove from the heat.

To prepare the seeds: Seeds are much tastier lightly roasted - suddenly they become really desirable instead of hard work. While the tofu is cooking, you can roast the seeds: add the pumpkin and sunflower seeds to a non-stick pan on medium-low heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring and shaking the pan every couple of minutes to avoid burning. Add the sesame seeds and continue for another 5 minutes until all of the seeds are slightly browned and you can smell their aroma nicely. Remove from the heat and quickly stir in the soy (if desired) until the seeds are evenly coated and it has dried onto the surface of the seeds.

To prepare the salad veges: Grate the carrot with a medium grater, sprinkle with salt to season, and wait 1 minute to draw out the juices before splashing with vinegar and oil. Mix well to combine evenly.

Beetroot works really well finely grated to release the sweet­ness, and is a great match with fresh ginger. Grate finely into a bowl and add the ginger. Season lightly and mix well to combine.

Use your fingers to break the lettuce into bite-sized pieces in a mixing bowl. Add the celery and thinly sliced cucumber, then sprinkle with salt and olive oil, tossing to combine.

Chop the tomatoes into small chunks, then season to draw out the sweet juices before adding finely chopped herbs and tossing to mix. Sprouts are possibly the best food ever, and add vitality and freshness to the bowl: sprinkle with orange juice so that they are moist and fresh.

To serve, the key to this dish is preparing the ingredients in a way that maximises their taste and texture, then arranging them in clumps so that you can choose what to have for each mouthful. Place a handful of the lettuce mix in the centre of the bowl.

Arrange the carrot, beetroot, capsicum, tomato mix and sprouts in sections around the outside of lettuce. Add a serving of cooked tofu on top of the lettuce, then sprinkle the seed mix over the rest of the bowl and top with spring onions.

This recipe is from Cook With Me: Recipes for enjoying every day (Random House) by MasterChef winner Aaron Brunet.

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