Panko Crusted Tofu with Lemongrass Broth, Noodles and Poached Eggs.

I've had a weekend of solitude and of relaxation, mix that with the return of Masterchef the Professionals and I start cooking - a lot! I had some smoked tofu to use up from earlier in the week and on researching tofu recipes, I came across this interesting Japanese influed recipe frmo Bon Appetit (all recipe credit goes to them, of course). This is a very nourishing and healthy recipe with a lot of interesting flavours and textures. I have changed the text in the recipe a litte bit as well as teh ingredients to match what I had to use on the day.

Panko Crusted Tofu with Lemongrass Broth, Noodles and Poached Eggs.

I have tried to organise this in sequential order for you to follow.

Serves 1 


Radishes and Tofu

• 5 small radishes, trimmed, sliced
• 50ml organic cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 packet of firm tofu - sliced thickly
•  2 tablespoons cornstarch
•  2 large egg whites
• 1/2 box of panko breadcrumbs 
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon  sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• Vegetable oil

• Mix radishes, cider vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt in small bowl. Cover; leave to absorb for 1 hour.
• Stack several layers of paper towels on work surface. Arrange tofu on towels; drain 30 minutes, patting tops dry occasionally.
• Whisk cornstarch and egg whites in shallow dish until cornstarch dissolves. Put panko breadcrumbs into another shallow dish. Mix salt, sugar, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder in small bowl.
• Working with 1 piece at a time, sprinkle tofu on both sides with salt mixture. Dip tofu into egg-white mixture, then crumb mixture to coat on all sides. Put to one side.

Lemongrass Broth

Ingredients

• 500ml water
• 1 handful of coarsely chopped cabbage
• 1 large white onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 fresh mushrooms
•  2 large whole lemongrass stalks, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 1 large head of garlic, cut crosswise in half
• 1/3 cup (packed) chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup (packed) chopped fresh mint
• 1/3 cup (packed) chopped fresh tarragon

• Combine first 6 ingredients in large pot. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 30 minutes.
• Turn off heat under broth. Add basil, mint, and tarragon. Steep for 15 minutes. Strain into another large pot, pressing on solids in strainer. Boil until reduced to enough for cover your portion of noodles. Season with salt and pepper.
  Noodles, Garnishes and Poached Eggs
  • Soba Noodles (enough for one portion - personal preference!)
  • 1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce 
  • 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg
  • Lemongrass Broth
  • 6 Radicchio leaves coursely chopped
  • Cook noodles in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water to cool quickly and drain again. Transfer to large bowl; mix in hoisin and oil to coat.
  • Add enough oil to a pan to reach depth of 3/4 inch. H. Fry tofu, 4 pieces at a time, until golden brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
  • Bring Lemongrass Broth to simmer in large pot. Add radicchio. Add noodles; simmer 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Poach your egg (http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/technique/how-poach-egg)
     Transfer each egg to small bowl. Add broth, noodles, and vegetables.  Top with 2 tofu pieces. Serve pickled radishes and eggs (eggs should be added to soup so yolks will enrich broth).
  
  
  
  
  
  

Chilli, Lime and Ginger Mackerel with Soba Noodles and Greens

These past few weeks haven't been the best for me. I've been suffering with excruciating back and neck pain and have been off work for a long while now. Having to stay indoors and not be able to even dress yourself is pretty depressing. So I wasn't eating particularly well until I decided that I couldn't take any more. I had to make this pain go away. I spent a long time researching the right diet to try and help me and found a lot of information on foods with anti-inflammatory properties. It was worth a shot. So for the past few days I've been eating wholegrains, fruits, vegetables, and foods with good oils such as oily fish, avocados and olive oil.

Tonight is the first time I've cooked a proper meal for myself in days and it involves all of these aspects. Using inspiration from my Wagamama cookbook, I developed the following recipe.

Chilli, Lime and Ginger Mackerel with Soba Noodles and Stir fried Greens

Ingredients

1 fillet of chilli, lime and ginger mackerel (£1 from Tesco)

1 tbsp Lime Juice

1 tbsp Mirin

1 tsp Nam Pla 

1 tbsp Chilli Oil

Soba Noodles

Fresh greens (I used kale, brocolli and spinach)

Salt and Pepper

Method

In a bowl, mix the lime juice, mirin, nam pla and chilli oil. Add the mackerel fillet and gently massage to cover in the marinade. Season with salt and pepper. Leave to rest for 1 hour.

Chop your greens. 

Boil a pan of water.

It will only take you about 5 minutes to cook this entirely, so make sure you have everything to hand.

Add the noodles to your pan of water - simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Pour the remaining marinade into a frying pan on a medium heat. Add your greens and stir fry in the liquids for 2 minutes. 

Push the greens to one side of the pan and place your fish, skin down on the other side. 

Cook your fish for 2 minutes on the skin side and 1 minute of the flesh side. 

Drain the noodles and all your tasty components up.