Del Monte Recipes

Crispy Tofu with Sweet and Sour Peppers and Pineapple

Recipe Development for Del Monte®

VEGAN | SERVES 3-4 PREP TIME: 15 minutes | COOK TIME: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAUCE:

• 4 tbsp soy sauce • 6 tbsp Del Monte® Pineapple Juice (from the can of Del Monte® Pineapple Chunks in Juice mentioned in the main ingredient list to the right) • 3 tbsp tomato puree • 4 tbsp rice vinegar • 3 tbsp sugar • 2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely grated • Good pinch of dried chilli flakes INGREDIENTS:

• 280g extra-firm tofu • 2 tbsp cornflour • Salt and pepper • 2 tbsp vegetable oil • 1 can (435g) Del Monte® Pineapple Chunks in Juice, drained, juice reserved • 1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced • 1 red pepper, thinly sliced • Thinly sliced spring onions, to serve

Method:

1. Mix the sauce ingredients together thoroughly and set aside.

2. Cut the block of tofu into small cubes. Put in a mixing bowl and sprinkle over the cornflour and plenty of salt and pepper. Toss together with your hands so that the tofu is coated in the cornflour.

3. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a fairly high heat. Add the tofu and cook for about 6 minutes, tossing now and again, or until golden and crisp.

Remove from the pan with a spatula, leaving the oil in the pan, and put on kitchen paper to drain. 4. Keeping the pan over a medium-high heat, add the pineapple chunks. Let them cook for 3-4 minutes, tossing once or twice, so they start to take on some colour. 5. Add the sliced peppers and cook for another 5 minutes or so, stirring or tossing now and again, until softened.

Tip the sauce into the pan and stir with the pineapple and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes so that the sauce is bubbling and reduced but not cooked away to nothing. 6. Spoon rice into 3-4 bowls. Divide the peppers and pineapple between the bowls, then add the crispy tofu.

Sprinkle with thinly sliced spring onion and serve.

Pear Brownies

Recipe Development for Del Monte®

VEGAN (please check ingredients on products used) SERVES 20 | PREP TIME: 30 minutes COOK TIME: 25 minutes, plus cooling

INGREDIENTS:

• 300g dark chocolate, roughly chopped or broken up • 200ml vegetable oil • 2 tsp vanilla extract • 300g soft light brown sugar • 2 cans (415g) Del Monte® Pear Halves in Juice • 200g plain flour • 100g ground almonds • Pinch of salt

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4 and line a baking tin 20 x 25cm with baking parchment. 2. Put the broken chocolate, oil, vanilla and sugar in a medium-large saucepan. Put over a low heat and melt together, stirring often, until smooth. It’s important not

to let the chocolate get too hot – keep the temperature low. Remove from the heat as soon as everything is melted together and leave to cool slightly. 3. Drain the cans of pears (you won’t need the juice).

Put the pears in a bowl and use a stick blender to blitz them to a smooth puree. You can also do this in a jug blender.

4. Stir the pear puree into the pan of chocolate mixture. 5. Combine the flour, almonds and salt and stir into the chocolate pear mix until thoroughly combined. Tip into the prepared tin, spread out and bake for 25 minutes until firm. Leave to cool completely in the tin before cutting into 20 squares. TOP TIP: For a sophisticated twist, add 50ml of very strong black coffee (e.g espresso) to the saucepan to enhance the rich flavour of the brownies.