Hello! I’m delighted to be bringing you a whole series of new recipes, thanks to Sarson’s. Over the next few months, I’ll be sharing my ideas for dishes using their brill new product - Sarson’s Pickle in 15 Minutes. It’s very simply a ready-to-use pickling blend that means you can create all sorts of pickled things really easily and quickly. Instead of making your own pickling liquor (by adding sugar and spices to vinegar, basically), this product means you cut out a whole stage in the recipe process and simply pour it over the veg/fruit, straight from the bottle. Wait (you guessed it) 15 minutes, and it’s done!
This first idea is for a really delicious rice bowl topped with smoked tofu nuggets and piled up with loads of veggies, including a simple quick pickled plum and red onion slaw. Loads of veg, full of protein and fibre and it’s also totally vegan and gluten free, for those of you that need those things.
Make sure all your ingredients are prepared and ready – this is going to come together quickly once the cutting has been done!
For the nuggets
225g box smoked tofu
2 tbsp cornflour
¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
Large pinch smoked paprika
300ml vegetable oil
For the slaw
1 plum (halved, stoned and thinly sliced into half moons)
½ red onion (finely sliced)
1 tsp sesame oil
100g Red cabbage, finely shredded
1 small raw beetroot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
Sarson’s Lightly Seasoned Pickle in 15 Minutes
To serve
Brown rice (short grain is my favourite)
Baby leaf spinach
Edamame (frozen and cooked according to packet instructions)
To garnish
Fresh coriander
Hoisin and/or sriracha sauce
Toasted sesame seeds
Nori seaweed flakes (optional)
Method
Cook the brown rice according to packet instructions
Meanwhile, prepare the nuggets: Lay the block of tofu on a few sheets of kitchen paper. Fold another sheet of kitchen paper in half and use to gently press out the liquid. Cut into 8 equal-size cubes. Put the cornflour in a shallow bowl, add the five-spice powder and paprika, then mix well. Toss the tofu cubes in the spiced cornflour until they’re evenly dusted on all sides.
To make the slaw, mix the plum slices and red onion in a medium bowl with the sesame oil and the Sarson’s Lightly Seasoned Pickle in 15 Minutes vinegar blend. Leave for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Add the cabbage and the beetroot and mix it all up. Place to one side while you get on with the tofu.
Pour the vegetable oil into a wok and put over a high heat. Once hot, shake off any excess cornflour from the tofu, then carefully lower each nugget into the hot oil using a slotted spoon or tongs. Deep-fry, turning regularly (and carefully), for 4-5 minutes until all sides are golden brown and crisp. Remove the tofu cubes from the pan using a slotted spoon or tongs, then drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle the cubes with flaked sea salt while they’re still hot – this helps to keep them crisp.
Fill a third of your bowls with the cooked brown rice. Add a big pile of the pickled plum slaw and a handful of baby spinach and the edamame beans. Sit the nuggets on top and garnish with coriander, the toasted sesame seeds and nori flakes and serve with hoisin and/or sriracha sauce so you can adjust the flavour as you like.
