Recipe: Grilled tofu spicy peanut noodle salad, Intolerant Gourmet cookbook

One of my Christmas gifts last year was this great cookbook – The Intolerant Gourmet by Pippa Kendrick after a series of blood tests that confirmed gluten sensitivities and a range of other things *sob.

So, I’ve started 2014 on a good note eating healthier between doses of champagne and gluten over New Year’s and Chinese New Year, and most recently Valentines Day. This time I’ve partnered up with my Russian friend, Katya Mendes Da Maia of Live and Love Healthy, a health coach based in Macau to cook up healthier, Asian skewed recipes as we do market runs together.

This Asian skewed recipe is really easy to make and the best part about cooking this in Macau is we get them all fresh and local at the wet market! Everything down to the daily made rice flour noodles. We swopped chicken with tofu to make it vegan.

Noodles have always been a symbol of longevity in Chinese cuisine and at birthdays, you’ll most definitely find a noodle dish, hence this was perfect timing to cook over Chinese New Year, with a delicious peanut butter sauce, toasted cashew and chillies and greens.

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

30 min

Ingredients

1. handful of toasted or roasted unsalted cashew nuts
2. 2tbs toasted sesame seeds (mixed black and white)
3. 200g fresh firm tofu (look for organic and GMO-free)
4. 1/2tbs toasted sesame oil
5. 1 yellow or red bell pepper
6. 1/4 cucumber
7. 300g rice noodles
8. high mineral salt

For the spicy peanut dressing

1. 1 red chilly (if you like it spicier like I do, add 4-5 and mix the seeds in)
2. small bunch of fresh coriander
3. 2tbs smooth peanut butter (look for organic and GMO-free)
4. 75ml coconut milk
5. 1 1/2tsp coconut flower sugar
6. juice of 1/2 lime
7. 2tbs coconut vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
8. pinch of high mineral salt
9. 1/4tsp ground black pepper

For the tofu marinate

1. juice of 1 lime
2. 1/4tsp high mineral salt
3. small batch of fresh coriander
4. 1 red chilli
5. Mashed 3 cloves of garlic (for the extra bite and kick)

Instructions

1. Prepare the tofu marinate by chopping coriander and red chilli, mixing it with the remaining ingredients. Generously cover tofu and se aside.
2. Chop coriander and red chilli and mix well with the remaining sauce ingredients in a bowl.
3. Grill tofu until cooked and brows stripes appear.
4. While grilling tofu, cook rice noodles required time. (usually done in 3-5 minutes)
5. Mix noodles with the sauce, cashews, bell pepper and sesame seeds and top with tofu (slices or cubes).
6. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and some more sesame seeds.
7. Enjoy!