Tofu talk

Whether you’re vegan or fl exitarian, this high-protein, low-fat ingredient comes in a variety of forms. Try our recipes for tofu waffl es, shawarma and more

Buffalo Fried Smoked Tofu With Blue Cheese Dip

To make this recipe vegan swap the butter for vegan butter or coconut oil, sour cream for vegan yoghurt, mayonnaise for vegan mayonnaise and blue cheese for 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2-4

For the smoked tofu

225g smoked extra firm tofu

150g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

100ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

300g panko breadcrumbs

1 tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Black Pepper, freshly ground

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp smoked paprika

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cayenne Pepper

SpinneysFOOD Pure Sunflower Oil, for deep-frying

For the buffalo sauce

80ml hot sauce

125ml melted SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter

1 tbsp white grape vinegar

½ tbsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce

Pinch of SpinneysFOOD Fine Cayenne Pepper

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

For the blue cheese dip

100ml sour cream

2 tbsp mayonnaise

50g blue cheese

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Squeeze out any excess water from the tofu and slice it into 8cm long fingers. 2 Place 100g of flour in a medium-sized bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining flour and water to make a paste. Finally, in a large bowl, toss together the panko, salt, pepper and spices.

3 Working with one piece at a time, coat the tofu in flour, then the paste and finally in the breadcrumb mix. 4 Heat a deep-fryer or pot of oil to 180°C. Drop the tofu into the fryer in batches and fry until crispy and golden. Drain on paper towels. 5 To make the buffalo sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small pot placed over medium heat and bring to a boil while whisking. Once the sauce begins to boil, remove from the heat and set aside. 6 Combine all the blue cheese dip ingredients in a bowl. 7 Toss the fried tofu and buffalo sauce together and serve with the blue cheese dip.

Buffalo fried smoked tofu with blue cheese dip

Tofu Waffles With Whipped Chocolate Tofu Cream

For a quick and easy dessert, place the whipped tofu cream in small bowls and set in the fridge. Serve as vegan chocolate mousse.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Makes: 8 waffles

For the whipped chocolate tofu cream

100g dark chocolate

200g silken tofu, at room temperature

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Pure Maple Syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Sea Salt Flakes

For the tofu waffles

100g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter

240g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

100g silken tofu

250g yoghurt

250ml SpinneysFOOD Full Fat Milk

2 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

To serve

150g SpinneysFOOD Cherries

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Edible Flowers

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar

1 To make the whipped chocolate tofu cream, melt the chocolate and set aside to cool slightly.

Tofu waffles with whipped chocolate tofu cream

Place the tofu, maple syrup, vanilla extract and sea salt flakes in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the cooled chocolate and process again until smooth. Pour into a bowl and allow to set in the refrigerator while you make the waffles. 2 To make the waffles, melt the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Whisk to combine. Grate the tofu. In a separate bowl, whisk together the yoghurt, milk, 85g of melted butter, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Combine the wet and dry ingredients along with the grated tofu. Stir to combine. 3 Preheat the waffle iron. Using a pastry brush or paper towel, coat the waffle iron with some of the remaining butter. Pour 125ml of batter in the waffle iron, close and cook until golden and crisp. Butter the waffle iron between each batch, if needed. 4 Serve the waffles topped with the whipped chocolate tofu cream, cherries, edible flowers, a dusting of icing sugar. and extra maple syrup on the side.

Adzuki Bean And Tofu Teriyaki Balls With Herby Brown Rice

Adzuki beans, also known as red mung beans, have a nutty, sweet flavour and are commonly used as the base for red bean baste.

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

For the teriyaki balls

1 x 400g tin red adzuki beans or red mung beans

300g extra firm tofu

5cm piece of fresh ginger

1 tbsp soya sauce

30g SpinneysFOOD All-Purpose Flour

30g SpinneysFOOD Organic Baby Spinach

2 tsp sesame oil

4 tbsp teriyaki sauce

For the herby rice

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Coriander

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Parsley

1 sheet nori (dried seaweed)

400g cooked brown rice

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4.

2 To make the teriyaki balls, place the beans in a food processor and process until chunky. Grate the tofu and ginger. Place the bean mixture in a large bowl along with the grated tofu, ginger, soya sauce, flour and spinach. Stir well to combine. Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls. 3 Heat the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat and cook the teriyaki balls, turning, for 4 minutes or until lightly golden. Reduce the heat, add the teriyaki sauce and cook, gently turning, for 4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly. 4 To make the herby rice, roughly chop the herbs and nori. Mix into the cooked brown rice. 5 Divide the teriyaki balls and rice between four bowls. Top with the sesame seeds and serve.

Shawarma Spiced Crispy Tofu In Tofu Wraps

Squeezing the tofu to get rid of as much water as possible helps it absorb all the spices.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4-6

For the pickled radish

250ml white grape vinegar

3 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

150g radish

For the tofu wraps

300g firm tofu

350g SpinneysFOOD Self-Raising Flour

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

250ml boiling SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

1 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

For the shawarma-spiced tofu

400g extra firm tofu, squeezed well

3 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ tbsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Coriander

½ tbsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cayenne Pepper

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cinnamon

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Cumin

¼ tsp ground cardamom

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Turmeric

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

½ tsp garlic powder

To serve

100g toum

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Fresh Parsley

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Microgreens

1 For the pickled radish, combine the vinegar and sugar. Slice the radish and add to the vinegar mixture. Set aside for 30 minutes.

2 Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7.

3 To make the wraps, grate the tofu and squeeze well. Place the flour, oil, tofu, water and salt in a bowl and mix well to form a soft dough. Set aside for 15 minutes to rest. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 pieces. Roll each piece out to a 20-30cm round. 4 Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the bread in the hot pan in batches for 2-5 minutes per side or until golden and crisp. Cover with a clean tea towel to keep warm. 5 Slice the tofu into 3-4cm strips and place in a bowl. Add the olive oil and toss to coat then add the spices and garlic powder and toss well. Spread into a roasting pan in an even layer. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden and crisp. 6 Meanwhile, assemble the wraps by spreading a tablespoon of toum in the centre of the wrap, top with the spiced tofu, pickled radish and herbs. Serve immediately.