Category: Vegan

Chinese Mushroom and Chilli Stir Fry with Tofu

Serves 3

I love exploring the Chinese supermarket, Wai Yee Hong, in Bristol. About a year ago I came across some fresh noodles called Cheong Fun which are sheets of rice noodles (plain or some come with tiny shrimp and flecks of spring onion embedded in them) that are then tightly rolled up. To cook them they are steamed for about 10 minutes by which point they are soft and ready to be added to your dish. I cut my rolled up noodles into roughly one inch pieces pre-steaming so I can tumble them straight into my stir fry from my bamboo steamer.

The Cheong Fun noodles are a perfect accompaniment to this dish, as the bundles of rice noodle pair well with the light pillowy cubes of ready-deep-fried tofu; another purchase from the Chinese supermarket, I find these are one of the best ways to enjoy tofu (the other being tofu katsu curry!)

And finally the stir fry sauce, another supermarket product that packs a punch of flavour, enhanced by the addition of soy and sugar.

This is a really quick meal to cook, just make sure everything is prepped and ready to go!

• Ingredients:
• 400g Cheong Fun Noodles (or rice noodles of your choice)
• 150g deep fried tofu pieces
• 2 pak choi, cut width-ways in to one-inch slices
• 3 spring onions, sliced diagonally
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced diagonally
• 1 1/2 tbsp Chinese mushroom in chilli oil
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp caster sugar

Step 1: Cook your noodles, according to the packet. Whilst these are part way through cooking (steaming in the case of the Cheong Fun), get on with your stir fry.

Step 2: Heat your wok over a medium high heat. Add a spritz of spray oil (you won’t need more as the sauce comes in chilli oil).

Step 3: Add the carrot and spring onion and stir fry for one minute.

Step 4: Add the pak choi and ready-fried tofu pieces and stir fry for another minute.

Step 5: Add the Chinese mushroom and chilli oil, along with the soy sauce and sugar. Stir fry for two minutes.

Step 6: Add your cooked noodles and toss everything together so the sauce coats all components. Serve.

Homemade Pizza

Makes 8 medium pizzas (dough and sauce)

I’ve written before that pizza is my husband’s favourite. I am much more likely to agree to have it for dinner if it is homemade. I find it easier to make a big batch of dough, divide it up in to portions and freeze the spares, along with the portions of pizza sauce, and then it becomes a quick meal to throw together, perfect for a Friday night! I simply get the dough and sauce out of the freezer in the morning to defrost. Both the dough and sauce are dairy free, vegan and vegetarian.

• Ingredients:

• For the dough:
• 800g strong white bread flour
• 200g strong wholemeal bread flour
• 14g fast action yeast
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 650ml lukewarm water

• For the pizza sauce:
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 500g passata
• 1 dsp caster sugar
• 1 dsp balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Step 1: Make the dough by mixing the yeast, sugar and oil in the water and setting it aside for a couple of minutes to activate the yeast (it will begin to froth).

Step 2: In a large bowl combine the flours and the salt, make a well in the centre and then add the liquid ingredients. Using either a wooden spoon or an electric mixer, combine the ingredients and mix until they have formed a ball, then knead until you have a soft dough (I did all of this in my electric mixer using the dough hook).

Step 3: Leave the dough to rise in the bowl, covered with cling film or a damp tea towel, until it has doubled in size. This will take up to an hour.

Step 4: Knock back the dough by kneading it on a floured surface.

Step 5: Divide in to portions (this recipe makes eight medium-sized pizzas) and either use immediately, or wrap in clingfilm and keep in the fridge or freezer until needed.

Step 6: Make the pizza sauce; on a medium heat, soften the onion in the oil for five-10 minutes and then add the garlic and soften for a further two minutes.

Step 7: Stir in the chilli and oregano, then add the passatta, sugar and balsamic vinegar and cook for 10-15 minutes on a medium-low heat. Season to taste. Allow to cool.

Step 8: When you are ready to assemble the pizza, roll the portion of dough out on a floured surface and place either on a preheated pizza stone or on a greased baking sheet (I also sprinkle the baking sheet with a little semolina). Spread an 1/8 of the pizza sauce over the surface (leaving a 1 cm border) and any additional toppings and cook at 220c for approximately 12 minutes.

I find that half a ball of mozzarella is enough per pizza (my husband would disagree!) and one of our favourite toppings is jalapeños (from a jar), some slices of salami and some halved cherry tomatoes. Once out of the oven I top it with freshly torn basil leaves.

Another suggestion, which we had tonight and really enjoyed, was mixing a table spoon of mango chutney in to the pizza sauce before spreading it on the base, then using some left over chicken curry (!) as a topping along with some sliced fresh red chilli. And mozzarella. Don’t judge us, just try it! It was lush!