Method

Grate the tomatoes and transfer into a sieve to strain the liquid. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper and leave for 20 minutes. You could save the excess liquid from the tomatoes and make a tiny Bloody Mary if you like!

Meanwhile, peel and slice the garlic. Add 100ml oil to a frying pan (cast iron preferably) and fry the garlic over a medium heat for a few minutes until golden, be careful not to burn it or else it will be very bitter. Remove the garlic from the pan and set aside for later. Decant the garlic oil from the pan into a heatproof jug.

Turn each petit pain on its side and cut into four slices lengthways. Set aside.

In the same pan as before, add a thin but even covering of the garlic oil then add the slices of bread and fry for a few minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Once the bread has soaked up the oil you can add a bit more from the measuring jug. Keep topping up the oil whenever the pan gets a bit dry.

Serve the breads with the tomato mixture on top, garnish with the crispy garlic, chopped basil or chives, extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and a crack of black pepper.

Enjoy!

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Add the garlic cloves (in their skins) to an oven tray and roast for 15 mins. I like to roast my garlic first so it takes away the harsh garlic burn you sometimes get when using raw garlic.

Drain the chickpeas and reserve the liquid.

Add the chickpeas to a good blender, along with the tahini, chickpea water, lemon juice, cumin and a little salt (the salted chickpea water helps to season it too). Remove the garlic from the oven, remove the skins and add to the blender with the other ingredients.

Start blending then gradually add in the olive oil. Blend for 4 minutes on a high setting for really creamy hummus.

Taste for seasoning and enjoy!

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C fan.

Add the soya balls to an oven tray and cook to packet instructions.

Meanwhile, add the sesame oil to a pan on a low-medium heat. Then add the onion and chilli to a saucepan and cook with the lid on for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure it doesn’t stick.

Add the garlic, ginger and sliced pepper and cook for a further 5-10 minutes until soft.

Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

When the soya balls are done, remove them from the oven and add them into the saucepan along with the mushrooms, ground black pepper and the sauce you’ve previously made. Stir well and cook for a further 10-15 minutes with the lid partially on. If the sauce is looking too thick you can loosen it with a little more water.

Serve with rice and a scatter of spring onion. Also nice served with Chinese Crispy Kale.

Enjoy!

Method

Top and tail the red onion then slice the onion into 8 pieces forming petal shapes. Break them apart, it doesn’t matter if some of the smaller ones stay together.

In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the pickle. Put on a medium heat, when it starts to simmer add the onions. Cook for 4 minutes then remove from the heat and cool quickly to keep the colour.

When the mixture has cooled, transfer to a sterilised jar or just a bowl if using that same day.

Enjoy!

Method

Add the vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic clove and coriander seeds to a small saucepan. Bring up to the boil then add the chilli and cook for 1-2 minutes so they soften slightly.

Remove from the heat and cool down quickly. I use a large bowl of ice water and plunge the bottom of the saucepan in and let it sit for a couple of minutes.

Transfer to a sterilised jar (if storing for a few days) or a small bowl if using later that day.

This makes for a tasty topping for bao buns, banh mi or a noodle salad.

Enjoy!

Method

Drain and remove the tofu from the pack. Wrap in a cloth to absorb the extra moisture for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from the cloth and cut the tofu into 8 pieces – I did mine into triangles. Place the pieces back into the cloth to absorb any extra moisture.

Heat a frying pan with 1 tbsp of oil until very hot.

Whilst the pan is heating, combine the tamarind and sweet chilli sauce in a small bowl and stir. Leave to one side.

Add the tofu to the hot pan to fry until golden brown. This should be about 5-8 minutes on each side.

Remove from heat when ready – they’ll heat up after the sauce is added so don’t worry if they cool slightly.

Meanwhile, prepare the slaw by shredding the cabbage and add to a large bowl. Grate the apple and kohlrabi and add to the same bowl along with white parts of the spring onions, green chilli and the lambs lettuce.

To the slaw, add the vinegar and mirin and generously season with salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Next, brush the tofu with half the tamarind and sweet chilli mixture you made earlier, so the pieces are covered on every side. Fry each side until nice and brown, about 4 minutes, then remove from heat. I recommend using a grill pan at this stage if you have one, not only does it look cool but it adds another dimension to the tofu flavour!

Serve the tofu on top of the slaw then serve with a dollop of the yoghurt and sprinkle sesame seeds and the remaining green parts of the spring onions on top. Also good with a side of roti/pitta bread.