Wakame Seaweed with tofu

Wakame seaweed and tofu are not only important ingredients in miso soup but are also in of a vast number of other Japanese dishes from salads to noodle soups and hot pots. Low in fat and calories and high in vitamins and protein, wakame seaweed and tofu are great foods for keeping in top condition.

This Wakame & Tofu Salad recipe will show you how to create a healthy, delicious and refreshing salad packed with Japanese flavours. As wakame seaweed and tofu both contain friendly nutrients and few calories this recipe is a perfect light meal on a hot day and will help keep that figure trim!

Ingredients

• 1 packet Firm Tofu

• 20g Seaweed Salad Mix

• 1/2 Cucumber

• 1/2 Avocado

• 50g Cherry Tomatoes

• 100g Watercress

• 2 tbsp Ponzu Citrus Seasoned Soy Sauce

• 1/2 tbsp Sesame Oil

• One pinch White Sesame Seeds

Recommended drink: Chinese Oolong Tea

How to prepare

1. Begin with peeling and cutting the cucumber and avocado into strips. Reconstitute the wakame in cold water and drain well. Cut your tofu into bite-size cubes.
2. Grab a salad bowl and add the wakame and watercress. Mix before adding the tomatoes, cucumber and avocado. Finish by adding the ponzu and sesame oil and mix again.
3. For the final step, simply add the cubes of tofu and stir. Give a subtle sesame crunch to your salad with the sesame seeds. Serve as a starter, side dish or light lunch with a bottle of refreshing 0 calorie oolong tea.

Tips and information

• Wakame, a type of seaweed, must first be soaked briefly in cold water before using. Drain it thoroughly before adding it to other ingredients.
•  If you have time, leave the tofu to soak in water for about 30 mins to reduce the aroma of the soybeans.

Wakame seaweed & Cucumber

Cucumber and Wakame Seaweed is a very refreshing side dish.  The combination of cucumber and wakame is one of the most popular types of Sunomono.  You too can make this simple and tasty dish at home.

If you have a mandolin or vegetable slicer, it’s a breeze to make this.  But even if not, you can still slice cucumbers the old way, with a knife.  Just need a little practice!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 Tbsp dried Wakame seaweed

2 Japanese or 3 Persian cucumbers

1/4 tsp salt

3 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 Tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional)

1 tsp sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Hydrate dried Wakame seaweed in water for 10 minutes. Drain water and squeeze water out from Wakame.
2. Slice cucumbers as thin as you can. Stir in salt, and let sit for 5 minutes. Squeeze water out from cucumbers.
3. In a small bowl, mix rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil together until sugar dissolves.
4. Add vinegar mixture and sesame seeds to prepared cucumbers and Wakame and mix well.

Warm Spinach salad

This version  spinach salad can easily be made into a meal by adding chopped cooked chicken, turkey, or even fish or tofu. Chopped egg is also a classic option. If you want more vegetables, mushrooms and red pepper work especially well.

Ingredients:

• 1 package baby spinach (about 9-10 oz) or that much washed spinach leaves
• 4 pieces of thick-cut bacon or 6 pieces thin cut (about 150 grams), chopped
• ¼ cup minced onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar 
• A pinch of salt
• Two pinches of pepper2 teaspoons worth sugar substitute

Preparation:

1. Put the spinach (and other vegetables if you like) in a large bowl. The spinach will shrink down some in the hot dressing, but you need room to work.
2. Chop the bacon and fry until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
3. If you like a lightly dressed salad, leave about 2 Tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan. If you want more dressing, leave more fat and then balance it with more vinegar and a bit more sweetener. (This dressing is a sweet and sour sort of thing.)
4. Cook the onion in the fat for 2-3 minutes, and then add the garlic - cook for 15-30 seconds or until it is starting to be fragrant. Be careful not to brown the garlic or it will get bitter.
5. Add the vinegar, and scrape up the brown bits in the pan. (The vinegar will seem potent, but it mellows quickly with the heat and sweetener.) Add the salt, pepper, and sweetener. Stir to dissolve, and pour the dressing over the spinach.
6. Toss the spinach (tongs work well) until coated. Transfer to individual plates or bowls and top with bacon bits and other toppings as desired.

Caramel Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

Bowl A

8 slices of bread (any bread can do) 

2 cups fresh milk

Tore the bread and soak in milk for 30 minutes.

Soak bread in one container. 

Bowl B

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon cornstarch

vanilla essence

Mix sugar, butter, egg, corn flour and vanilla essence. Blend until smooth

Looking for side income?

Mix all the ingredients in Bowl A and B. Can mix with raisins, chocolate chips, fruit such as bananas, strawberries

Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked to 180 ° C

Allow to cool.

Serve with custard sauce.

How to Make a custard sauce

1 can of evaporated milk

2 tablespoons of sugar

2 tbsp custard powder

Stir all ingredients over medium heat until its thick.