Tofu and Carrot Noodles

If you’re a fan of my Pickled Carrot Salad then you already know how good this dish tastes. You can serve it warm or cold as either a main meal or as a side dish to be served for a group. This meal eats like comfort food but in fact it’s incredibly good for you. It’s full of fibre, protein, anti-oxidants, vitamins C and K1. It’s a dish that makes you feel good and does you good.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 2 Adults
200g julienned carrots
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 chill
medium bunch of coriander
2 tbsp sesame oil
175g silken tofu

• Wash or peel the carrots (depending on how old the carrots are) then use the julienne peeler on all sides of the carrot leaving the core in tact (it’s just not very tasty on its own but you can save the cores in the freezer for when you make stock).
• Put all the julienned carrots in a mixing bowl then finely chop the chilli and add to the bowl.
• Mix together the vinegar, honey and salt then pour over the carrots and toss everything together. Let the salad stand in the pickle to soften.
• Put 1 tablespoon of sesame oil into a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Put the whole block of tofu into the oil and cook for a few minutes until a caramelized skin forms then turn over. Don’t worry if pieces fall off because once the tofu is fried on both sides slice the tofu into bite-sized pieces.

• Cook the noodles in boiling water until tender (a couple of minutes). With a slotted spoon remove the tofu from the pan and place in a small bowl then drain the noodles and place in the frying pan. Add another tablespoon of sesame oil and toss to coat the noodles.
• Use tongs to remove the carrots and chillies from the pickling liquid then add them to the noodles along with roughly chopped coriander. Use the tongs to toss the veggies and noodles together.
• Dish up the noodles to bowls or a serving platter and spoon over some of the pickling liquid then top with the tofu and a scattering of sesame seeds or chopped peanuts.