Technical Issues and Tofu!

Oh the delights of technology.  First the computer decides it will go on a complete go-slow, then the Wi-Fi packs up completely!  Huge thanks to Apple in Kingston, who talked me through deleting my whole hard-drive (very scary!), and boo-hiss to Netgear who are no help whatsoever!  Having spent an afternoon doing my work from Starbucks, I have finally had enough and decided to change my system to somebody more reliable - is there such a thing I hear you ask?!

Anyway, on to more interesting things...whilst all this mayhem was occurring I was invited to a tofu-making demonstration in a Korean supermarket - Korea Foods.  And what was even more surprising is that it was not too far from my where I live.  Previously unknown to me, there is a huge Korean community in New Malden, just a 10 minute drive away - much handier than driving into Chinatown for those illusive ingredients I am often asked to buy.

Tofu is made in a similar way to cheese where, after the milk has been made by steaming and pressing the beans, a coagulant is added, the solids and liquid separated, then the solids pressed and lightly cooked in a big block before being cut, cooled and packaged.  In all the process only took about 30 minutes from start to finish - amazing.
But what was more amazing was the supermarket itself - I love to shop in a place where there are so many ingredients that I have no idea what they are!  Luckily there are lots of very friendly staff on hand to help advise.

Tofu is a great source of protein and calcium and is a great ingredient for vegetarians.  Although it is fairly bland on its' own, when cooked with other flavours tofu becomes a very versatile ingredient.

I wrote this recipe for a company that provides me with wonderful coconut oil.  If you want to know more about this delicious ingredient, and find more of my recipes, go to their website - www.coconoil.co.uk.

Vegetable and Tofu Stir-fry

Serves 4
Prep/cooking time: 30 minutes

25g Coconoil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into julienne strips
150g broccoli spears
1/4 savoy cabbage, shredded
250g tofu, cut into cubes
dash of soy sauce to serve

1. Melt the Coconoil in a wok over a medium heat and add the spices.  When the mustard seeds start to ‘pop’ add the onion and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the remaining vegetables and stir-fry for 10-12 minutes until the vegetables are ‘al dente’ – just beginning to soften.
3. Add the tofu and a dash of soy and stir-fry for another 4-5 minutes until the tofu is hot.
4. Serve immediately.