Food fast

Tofu Katsu (gf) (v)

A delicious vegetarian take on traditional chicken katsu. A double coating of the breadcrumbs makes them extra crunchy. Great with a chilli dipping sauce or chilli jam, tamari or another purchased Asian dipping sauce.

TOFU

300-gram block firm tofu
½ cup flour
3 eggs, whisked
1¼ cups gluten-free breadcrumbs (I used Fogdog Gluten-free Breadcrumbs)
¾ cup desiccated coconut
1 tablespoon mild curry powder
sea salt and ground pepper

TO COOK AND SERVE

½ cup vegetable oil
kewpie mayonnaise, thinly sliced red chilli and spring onions, toasted sesame seeds and purchased ponzu sauce

TOFU: Cut the tofu in half and place between several layers of kitchen towels. Press gently to remove excess water. Cut each piece into 3 blocks to give you 6 pieces in total.

Place the flour, whisked eggs and the combined breadcrumbs, coconut and curry powder in three separate bowls. Season each with salt and pepper.

Dip each tofu piece into the flour, then into the egg and then in the breadcrumbs. Dip back into the egg then again into the breadcrumbs.

TO COOK AND SERVE: Heat the oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat and cook the tofu for 4-5 minutes, gently turning to brown on all sides. Place on kitchen towels to drain.

Arrange the tofu on a serving plate and top with a squirt of mayo, sliced chilli and spring onions and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Serve with ponzu sauce. SERVES 2

Rice Noodle and Coriander Omelette with Chilli Prawns

I love omelettes for their versatility and fast cooking time. This version has been in my repertoire for many years and I make a large one to serve two people.

50 grams vermicelli noodles
5 large eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
1 tablespoon each fish sauce, soy sauce and vegetable oil

PRAWNS

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed zest 1 lemon
200 grams shelled small raw prawns
1 tablespoon lemon juice

TO SERVE

coriander, cress, crispy roasted shallots and chilli sauce

Soak the noodles in a bowl of boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain then rinse in cold water and drain again. Cut into shorter lengths.

PRAWNS: Heat the oil in a large sauté pan and add the chilli, garlic, zest and the prawns. Cook for 2 minutes until the prawns are just cooked. Stir in the lemon juice. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl and add the drained noodles, coriander, fish sauce and soy sauce.