This vegan salt and pepper tofu recipe is a great dish to entertain with. I either serve it as an appetizer with tooth picks, or I serve it as an entree with some brown rice. All the components of this recipe can be made ahead and put together just before serving. This is a truly fancy, delicious, vegan, Chinese dish and it tastes like something you’d get at a restaurant.

To clean leeks, soak sliced leeks in water for a few minutes. The grit will settle to the bottom. Then scoop up the leeks floating on top and rinse under water.

There are a few recipes online for salt and pepper tofu, like this Chinese salt and pepper tofu on the post punk kitchen forum, this salt and pepper tofu with five spice  or this simple salt and pepper tofu  from Rachael Ray magazine.

Once you fry the tofu, toss it in sauteed leeks, celery, ginger, garlic and green pepper.

For a quick appetizer, skip the sauteeing just served the fried tofu with chili sauce like below. Toss tofu cubes in corn starch, salt and pepper. Fry till golden.

Notes:

- you can use this same method and recipe with button mushrooms, parboiled cubed potato, baby corn or paneer. The only change you will make is to make a batter out of the cornstarch and dip the vegetables or paneer in the cornstarch batter before frying. Tofu doesn’t need a batter because it has a lot of moisture already, so simply tossing it in cornstarch is enough 

- fry one piece of tofu first and taste it. Adjust the salt the pepper in the batch if needed and then continue frying the rest

- fry only a few pieces of tofu at a time. If you crowd the skillet, tofu wont crisp up

- if the oil temperature is too low, the tofu wont crisp up, instead it will get soggy with oil

- substitute leeks with 1/2 cup chopped onions

- you can make the leek, celery, bell pepper sauté a day ahead

- the tofu can be fried about an hour ahead of time and placed in your oven in the lowest temperature. simply toss the tofu in the sauté in the last minute

Vegan Chinese Salt and Pepper Tofu

serves 2 as an entree or about 4 as an appetizer

for the sauté
1/2 tablespoon oil
2 medium leeks, white part only, washed and grit removed (1 cup when chopped)
1 celery rib (1/2 cup when chopped)
1 small green pepper (1/2 cup when chopped)
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

for the tofu
1 block (14 oz when drained) extra firm tofu
4 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon or to taste freshly cracked black pepper
Salt

Vegetable or canola oil for frying

Chop the leeks, celery and green pepper into a fine dice. Heat oil in a wok on medium-high heat. Add chopped leeks, celery, and green pepper. Sauté on high heat for about 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic. Cook another 1-2 minutes. Add soy sauce and brown sugar and cook 30 seconds. Set this mixture aside.

Pat dry the drained tofu. Cut into 1 inch cubes. Place the tofu cubes in a large bowl. Add corn starch, salt and pepper. Gently toss till the tofu pieces are very well coated.  

In a skillet, pour oil so that it comes up 1/2 inch. Heat the oil.Make sure oil is hot. Add tofu cubes a few at a time. If you fry too many in one go they won’t crisp up. Fry the tofu pieces, flipping them around, so that all sides are golden brown. Drain onto a few layers of paper towels.

Heat up the sautéed leeks, celery and bell pepper. Add the fried tofu cubes to this. Toss well. Serve vegan Chinese salt and pepper tofu with your favorite chili sauce and garnish with celery leaves or green onions.

I was thinking of my August trip to England. On a chilly, rainy day much like today, I went to a Wagamama restaurant in Bristol, England. (It can be chilly and rainy in even in the summer; its England!). I had pan fried Soba noodles at Wagamama. Ever since then, Ive been wanting to make Soba noodles at home. Its getting colder here, so the cooking needs to get warmer. An added benefit to this recipe is that I get my soba fix and soup fix in one dish!

We had this for dinner and some store bought mochi for dessert. The mochi vanished in 12 seconds, so I don’t have a picture!

Soba noodles are made with buckwheat. In Japan, they are eaten cold with a dipping sauce in summer and in a warm broth in the winter. My broth is not traditional, but it does pair well with the soba. You can buy soba noodles in an Asian grocery store.

Ingredients
 
Soba Noodles – 3 bundles
Garlic – 3 cloves
Ginger – 2 inch piece
Leeks – 1
Green Onion – 1 stalk
Red Bell Pepper – 4 tbsp finely chopped
Broccoli – 8 florets
Pickled Ginger – 8 pieces
Soy Sauce – 2 tbsp
Mirin – 4 tbsp (substitute with rice wine or cooking wine and 1/2 tbsp sugar)
Lemon Juice – 2 tbsp
Water – 5 cups
Salt
Oil – 1/2 tbsp

Peel the ginger and cut into large pieces. Trim the tough leaves of the leeks, chop into rings and wash them in cold water to remove the grit. Chop the red bell pepper finely. Chop the green onion stalks at an angle.

While the broth is simmering, work on your soba noodles. Bring water to a boil in a pot. Then add the soba noodles. Bring back to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer the noodles. They should be done in about 5 minutes.

Drain the noodles into a colander and wash them with plenty of cold water. Drain well before using.

To serve, place some noodles in a bowl and pour the stock over the noodles. Sprinkle chopped red pepper on top. Garnish with green onion and pickled ginger.

Some Tasty Variations
 
Add seaweed in the broth for a healthy ocean flavor
Try shelled edamame instead of broccoli
For a simpler broth just use vegetable stock and soy sauce
Add miso paste to the broth for miso-soba soup
Top your soba noodles with Flexitarian’s wonderfully unique Tofu Croutons