• STIR-FRIED TOFU WITH· MUSHROOMS AND SPINACH

Plain tofu (soya bean curd) has very little taste of its own but readily absorbs otherflavours: hence when smoked it acquires a particularly distinctive smokiness which is delicious with cheese and certain vegetables. In this recipe its character is emphasised by the spinach and pine nuts; the mushrooms match it in texture and the celery adds bite. It is essential to use real. fresh spinach. For 2-3.

• INGREDIENTS .

4 ozlI 25 g spinach

8 oz/250 g brown Patna, American long-grain or Basmati rice

Salt

About 3 tablespoons oil

4 ozlI 25 g button mushrooms

2 large sticks celery

2 large sticks celery

4 oz/125 g smoked tofu

1/2 inchll cm piece fresh root ginger

3 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably light)

I oz/25 g pine nuts

Saucepan with a lid

Wok or large saucepan

• METHOD .

Pick over the spinach, removing all weeds and damaged leaves; pull off the roots and break off and discard any long stems. Wash, twice if necessary, and drain.

2 Rinse the rice. Put into the saucepan with a lid and add % pintl450 ml water, a good pinch of salt and a fewdrops ofoil. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes for Basmati or 30--35 minutes for Patna or American long-grain rice; test to see if it is tender by breaking a grain between the thumb and forefinger. If necessary, simmer a few more minutes, adding just a little extra water if it is very dry. Keep covered until you are ready to serve.

3 Trim the stalks of the mushrooms; wash them and leave on a plate lined with kitchen paper to dry. Cut the leaves off the celery sticks and trim the root ends, pare offany brown streaks, wash and cut into slices about 1/4 inch!5 mm thick. Leave to dry on a second plate lined with kitchen paper. Drain the tofu if necessary and cut into sticks Y4 inch!5 mm across and Y2 inch! I cm long; put on anotherplate. Peel and finely slice the garlic. Peel, wipe if necessary and finely slice the ginger, discarding any bits which are tough or stringy.

4 Cut the spinach into strips about Y2 inchll cm across; if still damp, dry by laying on anotherpaper-lined plate and blotting. Blot the mushrooms if necessary (it is essential that all the ingredients to be fried are dry or the oil will spit) and cut into slices Y4 inch!5 mm thick. Blot the celery if still damp.

5 Set all the prepared ingredients plus the soy sauce to hand. Put 3 tablespoons oil into the wokor large saucepan and warm for a moment or two over high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and allow to fry (do not stir yet) until the smell of the ginger in particular becomes·noticeable and they are just beginning to colour. This takes only a few seconds. Add the celery and tofu and fry, stirring continuously, for I minute or until the celery looks slightly less opaque. Add the mushrooms and continue to stir-fry forabout 30 seconds. Add the spinach and stir-fry for I minute or until the mushrooms are soft and the spinach reduced but not ragged. Add the nuts and stir; stir in the soy sauce. Remove from the heat and serve on top of the rice.

-STIR-FRIED BROCCOLI ANDRED PEPPER WITH PEAS

With the dark green broccoli, bright green peas and pale green celery, this is very, very green - except for the pepper, which against this background looks almost fluorescent. As peas cannot be stir-fried (they simply split and disintegrate), they are cooked separately and added at the end. For 2-3.