Nooched Tofu

So I have been trying to sneak a bit more soy products into our diet. To reduce the amount of meat we eat, and because it is alleged to help with symptoms of perimenopause. There has been some resistance from certain family members though, who find it bland.

But this, now this is tasty tofu! Flavoured-up with soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil and coated with nutritional yeast flakes - 'nooch' for short! The coated tofu is quickly toasted in the air fryer, and it's ready to go - in a stir fry, on a salad, with pasta and tomato sauce, or just eaten by itself. And even the tofu-hesitant here are eating it up with gusto.

If you've not come across them before, nutritional yeast flakes are small savoury flakes of processed yeast, with a vaguely nutty, cheesy flavour. Like marmite, they are rich in B vitamins. You can find tubs of it in larger supermarkets and health food shops under the brand name Engevita.

Bulgogi flavoured Mince

This is a quick weeknight recipe that has the flavours of Bulgogi, but without the planning ahead and remembering to actually marinade stuff.

And using cheap beef mince instead of finely sliced steak.

The sauce paste is based on the Bulgogi marinade from Our Korean Kitchen.

Black Bean Sauce

 A quick savoury stir-fry sauce.

All the ingredients are the sort of stuff that is generally lurking in the back of the kitchen cupboards and/or fridge - in my kitchen anyways.
And cause its not from a jar premade, you can juggle the balance of ingredients to your own taste.

Salted fermented black beans are available from Chinese supermarkets.

 This makes enough for a stirfry to feed 3-4 people.

Ninniko Shoyuzuke

Don't you hate it when it turns out that somewhere on its journey from farm to shop, someone refrigerated the garlic?

The garlic thinks: "Hm. It was really cold for a while, but now its getting warmer. Must be springtime! Sprout factor 9, Mr Sulu!"

...And your lovely big bargain bag of garlic bulbs starts sprouting everywhere and needs to all be used up at once ASAP!

Fortunately, this Japanese style no-cook garlic pickle is very quick and easy to prepare - though it does take a couple of months to mature.  There is even a bonus extra side product halfway through!

Your sprouty garlic disaster will be saved, and provide a bounty of garlicky deliciousness.

Bento Fillers - Tea Eggs, Miso Peppers and Chicken Karaage

We went to J-Con today, my daughter in cosplay wearing an outfit I made over the last couple of weeks out of an old school shirt and an old sheet.

Seeing as it is a Japanese-themed convention, I packed bento lunches. Homemade sushi - inari zushi and cucumber rolls. Vegetable gyoza bought frozen from Hoo Hing. Tea Eggs. Chicken Karaage. Miso Peppers.

Here are the recipes for the last three, all of which are pretty easy bento fillers that will keep in the fridge for a couple of days after making.