Black Garlic, with its amazing sweet-fruity umami notes, is of the most exciting ingredients you can make very easily yourself, with just patience and a rice cooker. You can use it in a million recipes, just like the fresh version, but it has so much more flavour and depth due to the super slow Maillard reaction that happens when leaving it for weeks on very low heat. Much cheaper than in the supermarket too.
Why You Will Love This
The first time I spotted Black Garlic in my local supermarket in Waterford, I was intrigued. I mean, of course the shiny black cloves looked slightly weird, but it was new, so of course I had to try it.
Versatile
What I wasn’t prepared for though, was the flavour explosion in my mouth. Sure, there was a hint of garlic, but so much more! None of the pungent sharpness of fresh garlic was left. Instead hints of fruit, going particularly well with cheese, umami and sweetness, making it an incredible pairing for any meat or mushrooms. Notes similar to good balsamic vinegar, but without the acidity. I could just eat them as they were like tiny snacks, similar to dried fruit with many of the same characteristics.
Essentially, everything you throw it at gets better. I mean it. Even cookies. I’m not kidding you. https://forthepleasureofeating.com/sourdough-oatmeal-white-chocolate-chip-cookies-with-black-garlic/
Adds “Oomph” to Dishes
Similar to its fresh version, you can use it in salad dressing, sauces for meat, compound butter, bread and many more. I think I saw even an ice cream made with it once. It became a trend ingredient in high end restaurants for a reason, adding lots of flavour, lifting up other ingredients, but without overpowering them.
I think my all-time favourite use of it were Burgers with Black Garlic Aioli. https://forthepleasureofeating.com/burger-with-black-garlic-aioli/
Super Easy to Make
All you need is a rice cooker, several bulbs of garlic, unpeeled, clingfilm and tinfoil. And about 40 days of time. That’s not a typo.
Essentially, against all those posts that claim it would be “fermented”, what is happening here is the Maillard reaction (the caramelisation of sugars present on food caused by heat) in extremely slow motion. Which leads to the black colour without any burning, as the sugar in the garlic gets very slowly transformed into caramel. Fermentation however would be bacteria doing the work and generally leading to some sort of bubbly and funky outcome. Think Kombucha or Kimchi or sourdough. There is nothing bubbly or funky about black garlic though. Just little nuggets of concentrated sweetness and flavour.
The Ingredients
I gave it away above, but let me repeat:
Garlic Bulbs. The best quality you can find. Please don’t use any old sprouted ones hanging out in your cupboard. About 6-8 max I found is best. I tried more but found that if I place more than one layer in the rice cooker, the top ones don’t get caramelized as well.
Rice cooker or slow cooker. Ideally one you don’t use every day, because this will be tied up for the foreseeable future. I simply bought a cheap one on Amazon just for this.
The important part is, that it has the “keep warm” function, as that’s what we will be using.
Clingfilm and Aluminium foil. Both.
I have seen and tried methods with just tinfoil or even oven roasting bags, and some using no wrapping at all, but none of them got me the consistent and perfect outcome I got by using clingfilm and tinfoil. And I’ve made many batches by now.
The Method
Cut off as many small pieces of clingfilm and tinfoil as you have garlic bulbs. Each big enough to wrap one bulb.
Now wrap each bulb first in clingfilm, then tinfoil. I did it by placing the bulb in the middle of a square, then just pulling up the sides and twisting the top.
There. The hard part is done.
Please your neat little parcels in your rice cooker.
Ideally add a sticker to your rice cooker, telling you what day you started your black garlic.
Find a well-ventilated spot near a wall plug in your house. Your house will smell of garlic. Unless you have the luxury of a garage or shed with power plugs. I left mine in the utility room, with the window tipped open.
Leave for about 40 days. Start checking the garlic after 30. If the cloves are shiny, black, and still soft, they are done. If they are still light brown, they need more time. If they are hard and crunchy, you left them too long.
That’s all there is to it. Enjoy your little black gems in a delicious Cashew Ranch dressing.
Or add them to compound butter to stuff under the skin of a chicken, for the most delicious roast chicken you will ever have.
Or…bake cookies with it and enjoy the freaked out but delighted look on your friends faces, when you tell them they are eating cookies with garlic.
Storing your Black Garlic
The Black Garlic keeps in a jar in the fridge for several months. Not that I think it’ll last that long. I have a feeling you’ll start a second batch soon.
Please comment!
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Black Garlic
Black Garlic, with its amazing sweet-fruity umami notes, is of the most exciting ingredients you can make very easily yourself, with just patience and a rice cooker. You can use it in a million recipes, just like the fresh version, but it has so much more flavour and depth due to the super slow Maillard reaction that happens when leaving it for weeks on very low heat. Much cheaper than in the supermarket too.
Cut off as many small pieces of cling film and aluminium foil as you have garlic bulbs. Each should be big enough to wrap one bulb.
Take an unpeeled garlic bulb and wrap it first in cling film, ensuring it's covered completely.
Next, wrap the garlic bulb in aluminium foil. Place the bulb in the centre of a square of foil and pull up the sides, twisting the top to seal it. Repeat for each bulb.
Cooking:
Place the wrapped garlic bulbs in your rice cooker. If you're using a sticker, label the rice cooker with the start date to keep track of the slow Maillard reaction process.
Find a well-ventilated spot in your home near a power outlet. Keep in mind that this will emit some garlic smell during the process. A garage or shed with power outlets can be great for this. Leaving them in a utility room with a partially open window is another option.
Slow Maillard Reaction:
Leave the garlic bulbs in the rice cooker for about 40 days. Check the garlic after 30 days to monitor the progress.
The cloves should transform into shiny, black, and soft bulbs when done. If they're still light brown, they need more time. If they're hard and crunchy, they've been left too long.
Storage and Enjoyment:
Once the garlic bulbs have reached the desired consistency, remove them from the rice cooker.
Store the black garlic in an airtight container in a cool, dry place until ready to use.
Enjoy your homemade black garlic in various recipes, such as Cashew Ranch dressing or any dish that benefits from its unique flavour profile.
Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies is a lovely warming Thai Curry with Peanut butter-coconut sauce. This would go with all sorts of vegetables, to make a nutritionally balanced meal. I have chosen aubergine, red peppers, and butternut squash, to underline the creamy and sweet notes of this easy dish. Using lamb rump instead of a more typical stewing cut means, you can cut down the cooking time to about 50 minutes instead of the typical 2h.
Why You will Love This
Using Thai Red Curry paste to give this Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies really punchy flavours is your easy way to a quick and delicious weeknight dinner that you can whip up in about an hour.
Tastes Even Better the Next Day
As curries go, they tend to get better when the flavours had a chance to meld and get to know each other. This one is no exception. Make a large pot and have nutritious meals for several days.
Flexible
Massaman Lamb Curry is as flexible as it gets, as you can basically throw in any meat or veggies you have around or love. It takes particularly well to slow cooking cuts that can slowly simmer in the fragrant curry spices. So instead of the boneless rump steak I went for here, you could use lamb shanks and simply bake them in the oven in the sauce at 180C/ 350F for about 3h, with the first 2h covered and the last uncovered.
Check this delicious recipe from Nagi for more details.
For vegetables use whatever you have in your fridge. I love sweet red bell pepper and squash in particular, but sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, or even green beans are all great choices. Experiment and make it your own.
Vary Calories through the liquid
You can use broth, light or full fat coconut milk or a combination of them to create exactly the sauce you like or that fits your macros.
Serve with Rice or without
I chose to serve my Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies with cauliflower rice today, but you could for example include potatoes in the vegetables and would have your nutritious carbs cooked in one pot with the rest of the ingredients. Or of course simply serve with very classic cooked basmati.
The Ingredients
Lamb – I used rump here, as it is tender even when cooked relatively short, which suited my idea of making a quick cook Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies instead of the typical rather slow cooked ones.
If you don’t mind letting it simmer longer, use lamb shoulder pieces or lamb shanks, which will get fall apart tender after cooking them for about 1.5h. This is also a more budget option, but at the same time higher calories, since shoulder is a fattier cut, which will melt into your sauce.
Vegetables – While I used aubergine for the meaty flavour-absorbing qualities, butternut squash for sweetness, red peppers for colour and crunch and spinach for the important greens, you can use any combination of veggies you enjoy.
Other great choices are carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, butter beans, chickpeas or anything else that profits from cooking for a bit in a stew pot. Just make sure to cut them into roughly the same size, so they cook all around the same time.
Spices – I love using the classic trinity of ginger, garlic and onion (or spring onions), since they help build that typical base flavour for curry. If you are in a bit of a hurry, use pre-chopped ginger and garlic from a jar in the Asian section of your supermarket. It’s one of my favourite busy weekday cheats, to have dinner ready quicker.
Curry paste – If you haven’t used red curry paste before, you might think it’s the hottest variety of them, but actually it is milder than green curry paste. So feel free to swap, if you like more of a spicy punch to your curry. You can also vary the heat by using less or more. I’m not a big fan of spicy food, so the amount given here is for pretty moderate heat. I usually start with 1 tbsp if I’m using a paste brand I didn’t try before and add more after tasting. It’s fine to add it towards the end and not fry it.
While the frying the paste will bring out more nuances, it can be tricky to judge the amount of spiciness at that stage. So taste towards the end and balance your flavours by adding more of anything you feel it needs.
Sauce – I used full fat coconut milk, but low fat or a mix of coconut milk and broth works well too. You can customize the level of creaminess you enjoy. Higher fat will also temper the heat. So if you accidentally added too much curry paste (I sure have done it before) simply add one more can of coconut milk, and it should taste great again.
Peanut butter – I really love the flavour of peanut butter and lamb together, but if you are allergic to peanuts, any other nut butter will do fine. Almond or cashew would be good choices for example. If you are generally allergic to nuts, you can leave them out and use for example cream or sun butter. Not authentic, but then…the important part is flavour, isn’t it?
Toppings – You can go wild here with toppings. I have given just a few in the recipe to pick from, herbs, lime, or coconut chips being my choices. Other great ones are a lovely cooling Greek yoghurt, to balance the heat, creamy avocado, any type of toasted nuts or seeds, herbs, maybe some extra sliced chilies if you enjoy even more spice or a drizzle of chili crisp.
What to serve this with – I had my Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies 2 days with cauliflower rice and the other 2 days with basmati. Both were delicious. It’s also very satisfying with a hunk of fresh crusty bread to soak up the fragrant, creamy sauce or just on it’s own.
Process
Start making your Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies by gently frying your chopped onions on medium heat in a large pot until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and fry until soft. Remove from the pan.
Add a little more oil and turn the heat to medium high. Once the oil is hot, add your lamb cubes and fry until nicely browned on all sides. You may have to do this in 2 batches, to not crowd your pot. Remove from the pot, season with salt and pepper and rest with the onions, garlic, and ginger.
See the brown bits at the bottom? That’s where all the flavour is!
Reduce the heat to medium and use a little more oil if needed, to gently fry your curry paste, releasing the flavours. Stir in peanut butter, coconut milk and remaining spices, bringing everything to a boil, scraping off any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, to integrate the delicious flavours into your sauce.
Carefully, to not hit yourself with hot fluid, lower the aubergine and squash pieces into the sauce. Add back the meat, onions, garlic, and ginger and gently simmer for about 20minutes or until the squash is tender. Throw in the peppers and spinach and heat through. You want the peppers hot with a bit of bite, but not mushy. The spinach will just wilt into the sauce.
Give everything a taste and balance the flavour to your liking by adding more salt, coconut aminos/soy sauce, maple syrup or tamarind, until it tastes lovely and balanced to you.
Optionally garnish with herbs or nuts of your choice.
Serve over rice, cauliflower rice or simply with a nice chunk of crusty bread for mopping up the fragrant sauce of your Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies.
How To Store
I froze a few portions of this Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies for busy days when I need food quickly. It reheats beautifully either in the microwave or on the hob.
If you plan to eat it throughout the week, it keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Let me know what you think!
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies is a lovely warming Thai Curry with Peanut butter-coconut sauce. This would go with all sorts of vegetables, to make a nutritionally balanced meal. I have chosen aubergine, red peppers, and butternut squash, to underline the creamy and sweet notes of this easy dish. Using lamb rump instead of a more typical stewing cut means, you can cut down the cooking time to about 50 minutes instead of the typical 2h.
1lblamb rumpCut into 1in cubes. Or cut of your choice. Check details above on how to cook shanks or shoulder
1auberginechopped into 1in chunks
2red pepperschopped into 1in chunks
1butternut squashdeseeded and chopped into 1in chunks. You can leave the peel on, it will soften
4cupsbaby spinachwashed, roughly chopped if you have large leaves
1onion finely chopped. I used redbut white or shallots will work too
2tbspminced ginger
1tbspminced garlic
1-3tbspred curry paste
2cans coconut milkfull fat, or light. Replace with part vegetable broth for a lighter curry
1/3cupsmooth peanut butter
1tspground cinnamon
½tspground cloves
2tbsptamarind paste
2tbspmaple syrup
1tbspcoconut aminos or soy sauce
3tbspolive oilfor frying
Salt to taste
To Serve, optional:
Fresh coriander or mint
Toasted and salted peanuts
Toasted Coconut chips
Cauliflower or basmati rice
Lime juice
Instructions
Prepare Ingredients:
Chop all vegetables and set aside.
Cut the lamb into 1-inch cubes if not already done.
Sauté Aromatics:
In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent.
Stir in minced ginger and garlic, cooking until fragrant.
Remove the onion mixture from the pot and set aside.
Brown the Lamb:
In the same pot, add another tablespoon of olive oil if needed and increase heat to medium-high.
Add the lamb cubes and brown them on all sides, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pot.
Once browned, remove the lamb from the pot, season with salt and pepper and set aside with the onion mixture.
Prepare the Curry Sauce:
Reduce the heat to medium and add a little more olive oil if required.
Stir in the red curry paste and cook briefly to release its flavours.
Add the peanut butter, coconut milk, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, tamarind paste, maple syrup, and coconut aminos or soy sauce, stirring until well combined.
Simmer the Curry:
Carefully add the aubergine and butternut squash pieces into the sauce, followed by the browned lamb, onions, garlic, and ginger.
Gently simmer the curry for about 20 minutes or until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally.
Add Remaining Vegetables:
Once the squash is tender, add the chopped red peppers and baby spinach to the pot.
Heat through until the peppers are hot but still have a bit of bite, and the spinach wilts into the sauce.
Adjust Seasoning:
Taste the curry and adjust the seasoning according to your preference by adding more salt, coconut aminos/soy sauce, maple syrup, or tamarind paste if needed.
Serve:
Optionally garnish with fresh coriander or mint, toasted and salted peanuts, or toasted coconut chips.
Serve the Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies over rice, cauliflower rice, or with crusty bread for mopping up the flavourful sauce.
Squeeze lime juice over the curry before serving for an extra burst of flavour if desired.
Enjoy your delicious Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies!
Notes
How To StoreI froze a few portions of this Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies for busy days when I need food quickly. It reheats beautifully either in the microwave or on the hob.
If you plan to eat it throughout the week, it keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Poke Sushi Bowls 4 Ways, all delicious and easy to make. This might be my favourite new dinner when I’m craving Sushi, which is often, but don’t want the fuss of rolling and forming. Instead they all come in form of a cosy bowl that you can customize to your exact preferences.
Use rice or buckwheat as base, top with fresh or pickled veggies and fruit, chose your protein or vegan tuna to top and you have dinner ready for the whole week.
Why You Will Love This
Delicious as Sushi but Without the Fuss
Have you ever had an irresistible craving for Sushi, but no restaurant or takeaway nearby and you really couldn’t be bothered with all the shaping and rolling? Then this recipe is for you. It does away with the fuss and only leaves the enjoyment of a nutritious bowl with all the flavours you love.
Poke at Home
Have you heard about Poke Bowls? I bet you have. And they always look so tempting, don’t they? Yeah, I think so too.
If you haven’t: Poke is essentially a Hawaiian dish made from raw fish that is tossed in sauce and eaten as snack or main dish. The most common seasonings include soy sauce, sesame oil, mayo, sriracha and spring onions. You can vary it endlessly to make it your own.
I have added fresh ginger and rice vinegar in my sauce, as I just love how it reminds me of sushi and transforms the flavour of the fish.
Typically Poke is just the raw fish in its sauce, but over the years these mixed bowls have become a rather stunning fusion dish, likely stemming from a mix of Korean bibimbap mixed with the Hawaiian Poke. Personally I’m a big fan of fusion kitchen, since it takes and combines the best parts of different kitchens and creates something new.
So in that tradition of mixing styles, I took ingredients that are commonly used in Sushi, where the fish is served simply raw and unmarinated, and combined it with the Poke tradition of mixing it with different flavours and sauces.
Versatile Toppings
I’m giving you 4 different options here, mainly differentiated by their protein or rather topping I should say, as one of them tastes like tuna, but is not a protein, but watermelon.
Tofu is another great topping, which you can even make in the air fryer.
And of course the two classics, both very easy to source: Salmon and Prawns.
It also comes with a range of pretty impressive health benefits, among them being high fibre, magnesium, and vitamin B content, making it a great alternative grain.
Mind you: Even though it’s name has “wheat” in it, it’s not related to wheat grain and contains no gluten.
Dressings
Three different dressings are given below, all take just minutes to assemble. Choose one or make several, to vary your bowls over the week.
We have an Asian Soy-Ginger-Lime dressing that doubles as marinade for tofu or Salmon, a Sriracha Mayo and a Wasabi mayo.
Wait, did you say Watermelon Tuna?
Watermelon? Seriously? That is sweet I hear you say. And you’d be right of course. But the simple process of marinating it with soy sauce, sesame oil and nori, then baking it and marinating once more, gives it both texture and flavour that is as close to raw tuna as I have ever experienced.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t invent this method and could not figure out who did unfortunately, as I’d love to give credit to this genius idea! But I found a variety of different recipes and picked my favourite while varying it slightly to suit my preferences.
The one I started from was by “Chef Studio”, showing a very easy way to make your own.
While they use the leftover marinade as it is for the second time marinating, I decided to boil mine down, to get rid of the unnecessary water from the melon that gathered in it from the first round of marinating, resulting in a more intense flavour and less watering down what we just cooked out in the oven.
2 Choices of Grains for the Base
As a base I’m using sushi rice in 3 of the bowls and cooked buckwheat in the last. While I love rice, the buckwheat has a nuttier flavour and can be prepared very similar to rice and essentially tastes like sushi rice, if you mix it with sushi seasoning.
Veggies and Fruits
As usual in my main dishes I prepare for the week, I use as many different fruits and vegetables as I can possibly fit on top of the bowl.
In this case I used partially my Quick Pickled Vegetables, a longtime favourite on my blog and partially raw. I just love the crunch and acidity you get from pickling and the zing this option lends to the grains. They are super quick to make too.
But if you aren’t a fan of pickles or just don’t feel like pickling, feel free to use raw ones. A soy or mayo- sriracha sauce on the side with add plenty of flavour to your bowl.
I know I’m walking the line with the fruits. They seem to be the marmite of the bowl and salad world. But personally I very much enjoyed both mango and fresh pineapple on these bowls. Leave them out if you don’t. Your bowl, your topping choice. That’s the beauty of them.
Note on the long Ingredients List
Since I made 4 different bowls and wildly mixed the toppings during the week, the list is fairly long.
But if you are not as decision adverse as I am, when it comes to the variety of what you’ll eat during the week, you can very easily par it down to a pretty short list. Simply pick one base, one sauce, one protein and some of your favourite toppings and you are set.
Ingredients
As usual, I’m stating just a few key ingredients here and why I used them. Please refer to the recipe for the full list.
The Grain Base
Sushi rice is certainly the easiest to find and likely the most familiar tasting if you are going for the typical flavour profile.
But if you feel a tiny bit more adventurous or just want to add more fibre to your diet, try out buckwheat groats. Ideally in form of Kasha, which is the toasted variant.
While you can toast your own, I felt during my tries that it’s never as even as the pre-toasted version and tends to get a bit mushy. It will still taste great but might not look as pretty.
At the time of making these bowls, I only had raw buckwheat groats, so that’s what I used.
Other great base options are cauliflower rice, brown rice or even couscous, which are easy to prepare and taste great with the sushi seasoning.
The Protein
Salmon or prawns – Use the freshest products you can find. Ideally from a fishmonger you can tell you if your fish is fresh enough to be eaten raw.
I took a bit of a risk with mine, buying a packet of super fresh looking salmon and prawns from Tesco, that had 6 days left on their “use by” date, which seemed good enough to me. Please carefully check the date before you buy and once you open it, smell it. It should smell like fresh seawater with a hint of salmon/prawn. If it smells in any way bad, do not use it.
Tofu
I used extra firm Tofu from the Tofoo co., which is readily available at Tesco here and tastes lovely.
Watermelon
Now, while watermelon is obviously not a protein, I’m listing it here as it will act like our tuna.
While you’d usually go for the sweetest and ripest melon you can find, if you are eating it raw, that would be counterproductive for this use.
Instead try to get one that is under ripe, as it will be less sweet and have fewer black seeds. They are also usually a bit on the firmer fleshed side, which is exactly what we want for the tuna-like texture.
Nori
This is what puts the “tuna” into the watermelon. You can find nori sheets for sushi in pretty much every supermarket these days. Just cut one piece into tiny snippets using scissors. Don’t leave this out, as it’s the essential ingredient.
Vegetables
The options are endless here. Think Sushi and Asian bowls and go from there. You can use whatever you enjoy in your bowl.
I used some of my favourites which included
– Red cabbage
– Carrots
– Cucumber
– Mini sweetcorn
– Radishes
– Avocados
– Spring onions
Apart from the avocado and spring onions, I had pickled and fresh versions of them all and found both delicious.
You could also use edamame beans (which are near impossible to get here), fresh peas, pickled onions, daikon radish, seaweed, micro greens, red peppers, or zucchini.
Fruit
Going with the Hawaiian theme from the Poke, I added fresh mango and pineapple to some of the bowls and absolutely loved the sweet freshness they brought to the party. If you are a pineapple pizza hater, maybe leave them out.
Sauce
My personal favourite was a sauce I mixed from soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, lime juice, honey, and ginger. It felt closest to the Poke Sushi theme I was going for.
I used it to marinade the salmon and tofu and to drizzle over the finished bowls. So if you go with one of those 2 toppings, make double.
A note on soy sauce: I prefer Tamari or reduced salt soy sauce, especially from Kikkoman. If you are using Chinese dark soy sauce, you might have to adjust the amount, as it’s very salty.
If you like a creamier and hot version, a simple mix of sriracha, mayonnaise, lime juice and honey will be lovely.
Or swap the sriracha for wasabi, to add a different type of heat. I mixed 0% fat greek yoghurt into both, as I wanted a lighter dressing.
Other Toppings
No bowl is complete without fun additions that make it really sing.
In this case I went with pickled sushi ginger, black and white sesame, and optional wasabi.
FAQ
Sushi Seasoning
No sushi seasoning? No problem. Just make your own.
Mix 1 cup rice vinegar, ¼ + 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp salt and whisk until sugar and salt have dissolved.
Are Poke Sushi bowls healthy?
They absolutely can be. Combining a source of carbs, protein and a variety of different vegetables gives your body all the nutrients it needs and keeps your gut bacteria happy.
I love to add at least 5 different veggies and some fruit to my main meal and these Poke Sushi Bowls are now exception. Basically you get all your 5-a-day in one irresistible dish.
But what about raw fish?
As long as you make sure to use really fresh fish, it’s perfectly healthy and eaten in Japan and Hawaii on a regular basis.
However, if you are unsure or have a compromised immune system (I do due to my arthritis drugs, but never had any issues), you could use smoked salmon for example or one of the other toppings. No danger in the watermelon “tuna” for sure.
Also both prawns and salmon have lime in their marinade, which partially “cooks” them via the acid.
But I hate fish!
I get you, I really do. I have a weird, deep dislike for any fish that is not deep fried. Unless it’s raw.
Sounds strange, doesn’t it? But fresh, raw fish tastes a lot less “fishy” than cooked fish of any sort. And the texture and flavour are more like a really tender filet steak (properly cooked that is, medium/raw).
So if you want to enjoy the benefits of fish, especially oily ones like salmon, with all their protein and omega 3, but hate most cooked variants, you might want to give this a go. It’s my absolute favourite way to eat it!
The Process
This part will look fairly long, as I’m covering the different bases and toppings. Simply skip to the bits you’d like to use in your bowl.
Quick Pickles Vegetables
If you decide to pickle your veggies, do that first by following my recipe for it. It just takes a few minutes to make and lasts for over a week in the fridge. So you’ll have crunchy pickled veggies for all kinds of dishes and cravings.
FreshVegetables
Slice and chop your vegetables of choice into bite sized pieces. Store in separate containers, to assemble later.
Watermelon “Tuna”
While the watermelon “tuna” isn’t a lot of work, it does take a while due to the marinating and baking time. So ideally prepare it the day before.
Cut the skin off your watermelon and cube it into about 1in pieces and drop them into a large freezer bag. They will shrink quite a bit as they bake.
Mix all remaining ingredients except the rice vinegar and pour over the melon pieces. Close the bag and shake, to distribute them and cover every bit of melon. In a box or deep dish, where the bag can lay relatively flat, so the cubes are in one layer, store in the fridge to allow to marinate for at least 6h or overnight.
Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Once ready to bake, carefully pour the now watered down marinade through a sieve into a small cooking pot. We will boil this down to concentrate the flavours while the watermelon bakes.
Distribute the marinated cubes on the parchment lined baking sheet, so they are in one layer, ideally with a tiny bit of space in between them.
Bake for 1- 1.5h, turning them carefully once, until their texture resembles raw tuna. Try one and see if it needs a little longer if in doubt. They should already be delicious.
While that is baking, reduce the marinade by boiling it rapidly until you have about ½ cup left. Add the rice vinegar and leave to cool.
Once your “tuna” is baked, transfer to a heat proof bowl and drizzle over the marinade. Leave in the fridge for at least 1h, up to 5 days. The longer you leave it, the more intense the flavour will be.
Tofu
This is next on the list of “takes a while, but is very easy”, as tofu has to be pressed, to remove some of the water content and then marinated to flavour it.
Start by pressing your tofu. You can do this by simply wrapping it into a clean, dry kitchen towel, putting it between 2 wooden boards or trays and putting something heavy on them to weigh it down. Or, if you’d rather have a less precarious version, get a tofu press like this.
Whichever method you use, leave for at least 1h. Overnight is fine too.
Pour away the liquid that has gathered and cut your block of tofu into about ½ in cubes. Transfer to a bowl or freezer bag for marinating.
Mix the soy dressing/marinade ingredients together and pour one portion over your tofu cubes. Leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 1h or longer.
While your rice is cooking, fry your tofu cubes until golden brown. You can do this in a pan, with a little oil, or in the air fryer.
To air fry, preheat your air fryer to 400°F/200°C-
Spray the cooking basket with a little cooking oil. Lay out the tofu cubes in one layer (depending on your air fryer, you may have to do this in batches) and cook for 9 minutes. Slide out the basket, toss the cubes, then cook for another 2-4 until golden brown and delicious.
Salmon
Remove any bones and skin from your salmon. Cut into bite sized cubes (about ½ in). Transfer to a freezer bag or lidded container.
Mix the soy dressing/marinade ingredients together and pour one portion of it over the salmon cubes, turning them to make sure they all have marinade on them. They don’t need to be fully submerged.
Marinade for about 30min-1h. Serve raw. It will be slightly “cooked” by the marinade.
Prawns
Wash your prawns and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a bowl with a lid or freezer bag.
Mix the juice of the limes, salt and ginger and pour over your prawns. Leave to marinade for about 30min to 1h. Serve raw. They will be slightly “cooked” by the marinade.
Sriracha/Wasabi Mayo
In a small bowl, stir all ingredients together until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Sushi Rice
Rinse the rice under cold running water. Transfer to a saucepan. Add the water and salt, then bring to a boil. Stir, cover, lower the heat to the minimum, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the water is fully absorbed. Remove from the heat and let rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
Stir in sushi seasoning until well distributed.
Buckwheat Groats
If not toasted, quickly toast it on a dry skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until golden brown.
Stir in the buckwheat into boiled water and cover saucepan with lid. Bring back to a gentle simmer and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the water is absorbed, 13-15 minutes.
Remove from heat and let the buckwheat rest covered for 10 minutes.
Stir in the sushi seasoning. Fluff with a fork.
For a more detailed recipe including troubleshooting tips for Buckwheat Groats, have a look at this one from “Olga in the Kitchen“.
Assembly
Build your bowls starting with your carb of choice. Add about ½ cup of rice or buckwheat to your bowl. Top with your vegetables and/or fruit, then your protein or Watermelon “tuna”.
Drizzle with dressing of your choice. Decorate with sesame seeds, pickled ginger and, if you like, extra wasabi.
Dig into your stunning and addictive Poke Sushi Bowls, gratulate yourself for your fantastic food choices.
Meal Prep
Everything in these bowls can be prepared in advance, though for the raw fish options, I would recommend eating them the same day or latest the next day if your fish was very fresh.
Store every ingredient in separate lidded containers in the fridge, to keep it from going soggy and assemble when you are ready to eat.
These bowls also make a fantastic work lunch, if you assemble in the evening and just grab one from the fridge in the morning. The tofu and watermelon “tuna” will both keep for 4-5 days.
Please Leave a Comment
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
For other Asian inspired recipes take a look at these:
Poke Sushi Bowls 4 Ways, all delicious and easy to make. This might be my favourite new dinner when I’m craving Sushi, which is often, but don’t want the fuss of rolling and forming. Instead they all come in form of a cosy bowl that you can customize to your exact preferences.
Use rice or buckwheat as base, top with fresh or pickled veggies and fruit, chose your protein or vegan tuna to top and you have dinner ready for the whole week.
1500gwatermelon seeded & peeled (about 1 medium melon)chopped into about 1in cubes
½tspsalt
1tbspsesame oil
2tbspneutral oil such as grapeseed
¼cuptbsp tamari or soy sauce
1sheet noricut into small pieces
2tbsprice vinegar
Marinade/Dressing
Make double if you are topping your bowl with Salmon or Tofu
3tbspShoyu or soy sauceTamari or soy
3tbsplime juiceabout 2 limes
1tbspsesame oil
1tbsphoney
2tspGingergrated
2spring onionssliced to top after marinating
Prawn Marinade
4limeszest of 1, juiced
2tspgingergrated
½tspkosher salt or more to taste
2spring onionssliced to top after marinating
Wasabi-Mayo
2tbspMayo
2tbsp0% fat Greek yoghurt
½limejuice and zest
1tsphoney
½ - 1tspWasabi
Or
Sriracha Mayo
3tbspMayo
3tbsp0% fat Greek yoghurt
1tspSriracha
½limejuice
1tspHoney
Sushi Rice
1cupsushi rice
1½cupswater
1tspkosher salt
2tbspsushi seasoning
Or
Buckwheat Groats
1cupbuckwheattoast, rinse
1 ½water
1tspkosher salt
2tbspsushi seasoning
Instructions
Quick Pickled Vegetables:
If opting for pickled veggies, prepare them using the recipe provided above in the post. This step is quick and can be done ahead, offering crunchy pickled vegetables for various dishes.
Vegetables Fresh:
Slice and chop your choice of vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Store them separately to assemble later.
Watermelon "Tuna":
Prepare the watermelon "tuna" a day in advance for optimal flavor.
Remove the skin from the watermelon and cube it into 1-inch pieces. Place them in a large freezer bag.
Mix all remaining ingredients except rice vinegar and pour over the watermelon. Seal the bag and shake to coat evenly. Refrigerate in a flat container for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Strain the marinade into a pot and boil it to concentrate flavors while the watermelon bakes.
Arrange marinated watermelon cubes on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 1-1.5 hours, turning once, until the texture resembles raw tuna. Adjust the baking time if needed.
Reduce the strained marinade, add rice vinegar, and let it cool. Drizzle over the baked watermelon "tuna" and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 5 days.
Tofu:
Press tofu between two boards or trays with weights on top for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Discard the accumulated liquid and cut tofu into ½-inch cubes.
Marinate in a mixture of soy dressing for at least 1 hour.
Fry the marinated tofu until golden brown in a pan with oil or in an air fryer preheated to 400°F/200°C for 9 minutes, toss, then fry for another 2-4 minutes until golden brown.
Salmon:
Remove bones and skin from salmon, then cut into bite-sized cubes. Marinate in soy dressing for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Prawns:
Wash and pat dry prawns, then marinate in lime juice, salt, and ginger for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Sriracha/Wasabi Mayo:
Mix all ingredients until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Sushi Rice:
Rinse sushi rice, then cook with water and salt for 15-20min until fully absorbed. Let it rest, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir in sushi seasoning.
Buckwheat Groats:
Toast buckwheat on a dry skillet until golden brown if not already toasted.
Cook buckwheat in boiled water for 13-15 minutes until tender, then let it rest covered for 10 minutes. Stir in sushi seasoning.
Assembly:
Start with a base of rice or buckwheat in each bowl.
Top with fresh vegetables/fruits, protein (tofu, salmon, shrimp, or watermelon "tuna").
Drizzle with desired dressing and garnish with sesame seeds and pickled ginger.
Enjoy your vibrant and flavorful Poke Sushi Bowls!
Notes
Please note: For this particular recipe, as there are so many variables, I'm not giving specific nutrition calculation, but rather an average for the sushi bowls as I made them. This will vary depending on the sauce, protein, grain and vegetables you are using, so it's just a very rough estimate.Similar for the cooking and preparation time. The 2 days resting and 2h cooking are for the Watermelon "Tuna", which simply needs a while to take on the flavor. But it's very little hands on work.The average hands on work would be around 45min plus cooking and marinating time for rice/Protein.Everything in these bowls can be prepared in advance, though for the raw fish options, I would recommend eating them the same day or latest the next day if your fish was very fresh.Store every ingredient in separate lidded containers in the fridge, to keep it from going soggy and assemble when you are ready to eat.
Nutrition
Calories: 350kcal
Nutrition Facts
Poke Sushi Bowls 4 Ways
Amount per Serving
Calories
350
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword For Guests, Healthy, High Fibre, meal prep, Protein, vegan, Vegetarian, versatile
This super pretty pink Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein will brighten up your table while bringing you a zesty and nutty tasting cake that is very easy to make. The sponge is full of pistachio-orange flavour, while still feeling light enough to have it any day with a nice cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon. What’s more: It comes with about 10g of protein per slice, meaning you get your nutrition from your dessert. The candied orange slices are optional, but highly recommended and once you made them, you’ll wonder why you ever bought them, it’s so simple.
Why You Will Love This
I mean look at it! Doesn’t it lift your mood simply because it’s there? It sure does for me. But if you need more reasons, here we go.
Easy to Make
Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein is essentially a very simple sponge cake you can whip up in a few minutes. The only special equipment you’ll need is a food processor, do grind the pistachios, as they can be hard to find pre-ground.
The icing comes together in seconds and the candied oranges take just a few minutes on the hob and some drying time.
This cake is just as good as impressive centre piece for afternoon tea with guests, as it is to have just by yourself during the week, because of how easy it is to make and how well it keeps due to the pistachio-rich batter.
Pretty Pink and Entirely Natural Icing
Blood Oranges give you an incredibly pretty icing without any food colouring. Even though not all of them have the dark red shades on the skin, the juice tends to be a really intense red, which will colour the simply icing sugar mix just on its own. No colour needed.
Protein
If you read some of my dessert recipes, you probably noticed I include protein powder in most of them. This is because I made dessert essentially a main meal. Due to my busy fulltime job, I rarely have time to eat breakfast, so usually I meal prep lunch and something sweet for the evening on my weekends, to have it ready during the week.
Now, would I eat “normal” desserts, which usually have very little nutrition, that would probably not be a good idea. But I try to incorporate fruits, nuts, protein, and nutritionally dense carbs in everything I make, meaning I fuel my body with them and there is no reason to feel bad about eating them.
Dessert for Breakfast. Or Dinner?
The above distribution of my meals (including this Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein) is very intentionally structured around what I feel like eating at the time of day I have the food.
Usually, having “lunch” as my first meal, I feel like something savoury, ideally with lots of veggies, that will fuel me until dinner.
While in the evening, after the stresses of the day, I almost always crave something sweet. Do I use the food to reward myself? Absolutely. But by doing this in an intentional way and including all the nutrition my body needs in it, I feel pretty great about it too.
Pistachios for Lovely Contrast and Flavour
This recipe was inspired by one from “Nistisima” by Georgina Hayden for a vegan walnut-orange cake, that is often eaten during fasting.
I wanted protein in my cake and pretty green pistachios instead of walnuts, to provide a contrast to the bright colours and flavour of the blood oranges. Also slightly lower calories. So I adapted the recipe accordingly.
The Ingredients
I’m giving just a few of the ingredients here and why I used them. For the full list, please see the recipe.
Blood Oranges
Blood oranges are in season, so I wanted to make a dessert that really showcases their pretty colour and bright, intense flavour. I feel this Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein does just that. Both their juice and zest are used in the sponge, more juice to make the pink icing and they get candied to create an amazing and very snackable topping.
They also contain lots of fibre and vitamin C together with and whole range of other nutrients, meaning they are really good for you. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/blood-orange-benefits
If Blood Oranges are not in season, you can of course use normal oranges. They just won’t add the pink colour to the icing. Or use blood orange juice from the fridge in your supermarket. I’ve seen one brand having it relatively regularly.
Pistachios
While it was near impossible to get shelled pistachios in Ireland for a while, they are slowly becoming more common. I found mine at Holland & Barrett, but also saw some at Dunnes.
Depending on where you live, you might want to check health food shops for them, as they seem to be easier to find there.
Pistachios are rich in nutrients, one of the lowest calorie nuts and high in protein.
That being said, Pistachios are not a “nut” in the biological sense, but rather in the same family called “drupes” together with cashews and almonds. Which also explains their affinity with most foods that almonds go so well with.
If pistachios are very expensive where you live, you could replace either half or all of them with almonds and the cake would still be delicious. Just not as pretty light green.
Protein
I’m using as usual my favourite (neither sponsored nor affiliated) MyProtein Whey. In this case their Buttered Popcorn flavour.
Vanilla flavour would work great too.
You could use vegan or casein protein powder, which I read are especially great for baking, but I absolutely despise the flavour of all vegan powders I have tried, and found MyProtein Whey to work rather fantastic in any dessert. So swap at your own risk.
Apart from the beneficial added protein, the powder replaces part of the plain flour and sugar, which brings the nutrition up and the calories down. Win/win.
Whole Wheat Flour
To up the nutty flavour of this cake, I swapped part of the more typically used plain flour for whole wheat flour. Fine to be specific. This is particularly nice for cakes, as it’s finer ground than the typically coarse whole wheat flour you’d use for bread, but still has all of the nutrition of the whole grain.
Icing
All you need for the pink icing is icing sugar and blood orange juice. Extremely simple and very delicious. It also “seals” the cake, keeping in the moisture, so it will last for a few days on your counter.
Candied Oranges
I know, everything candied sounds so very complicated, doesn’t it?
I can assure you, it’s not. Orange slices, sugar and water is all you need. It’s entirely made on the hob. A sugar thermometer is needed.
Making this Cake Vegan
To transform this cake into a vegan one, simply replace the 2 eggs with another 1/2 cup of light olive oil and use a vegan protein powder.
The Process
The Candied Blood Oranges
Start by making the candied oranges if you chose to include them. This will make a few more than you need, which is perfect, as they are great for nibbling.
Prepare a sheet pan with a wire rack by placing some baking parchment under the wire, for less mess to clean up later.
First bring a pot with water to the boil and prepare a bowl of iced water. Once boiling, gently lower your orange slices into the water and simmer for 2 minutes, taking them out with a slotted spoon when done and plunging them into the ice bath. This will remove some of the bitterness from the peel.
Next add your cup of sugar and ½ cup of water to a medium saucepan. The little red flecks you see in the pot above are orange juice from the cut off ends I squeezed into it.
Stir while bringing it to the boil, so the sugar can dissolve. Once it boils, stop stirring and just swirl the pot occasionally, to prevent sugar crystals from forming. If any form on the sides of the pot, use a wet brush to push them down.
Let the syrup come to 225°F/110°C, then gently and in layers, lower all the orange slices into it.
Continue to simmer the mix until it reaches about 230°F/115°C (Keep an eye on it. You don’t want it to turn into dark caramel accidentally) while carefully turning the orange slices once with thongs or a spatula. Once the target temperature is reached, your syrup should be fairly thick.
Pick out the now candied orange slices one by one with a fork or thongs and place on the wire rack. Be sure to keep a bit of space between them, so they don’t stick together.
Leave to cool for at least 1h.
If you are not using them immediately, they can be stored in a lidded container in the fridge for up to a week. So you can prepare them ahead of time. Ideally keep them in single layers on baking parchment, to keeping them for becoming one huge sticky orange piece.
The Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein
Start by greasing a springform and line the bottom with baking parchment. This is easiest if you lay the parchment over the loose bottom, then fasten the ring around it and cut off the overlap.
Preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or with your stand mixer, whisk together sugar and oil. Note the sugar won’t entirely dissolve, as it might in butter. That’s fine. Just whisk for a few minutes until it’s mostly there. Add the eggs one by one and mix until light and foamy and the sugar has dissolved. In doubt rub some of the mix between your fingertips. If it’s still slightly grainy, mix a bit longer until it feels smooth.
Now you can add all the remaining wet ingredients and the protein powder. Continue whisking until really smooth and foamy. This will add lift to the sponge.
In a separate bowl, mix the remaining dry ingredients, keeping ¼ cup of chopped pistachios back for garnish later.
Add the dry to the wet and gently fold in with a spoon or silicone spatula until no dry flour remains. Don’t overmix, or you will develop the gluten and your sponge will become tough.
Pour the batter into your prepared springform. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes, rotating once if your oven bakes unevenly, until it’s nicely browned and a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.
Leave the cake to cool in the form for about 10minutes, then take it out of the springform and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Don’t add the icing while still warm, or it will just soak into the cake. Which is still delicious, but not as pretty.
The Blood Orange Icing
Juice your last blood orange and add the icing sugar to a bowl or small jug. Start by adding 2-3 tbsp of the juice to the sugar and, using a small whisk, incorporating it until there is no liquid left. Judge the consistency. It should be thick, but still drizzleable (is that a word? If not, it should be!). Add more juice or sugar if it’s not quite right.
Pour the icing over your cake, first one half, spread with a spatula or back of a large spoon, then add more where you feel it’s a bit thin. You could also do this in two layers, letting the first one dry completely before you add the second. Use a spatula to spread some of the icing that has run off onto the sides to complete the look.
Let the icing dry completely before you decorate the cake.
Decorate and Serve
Just before serving your Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein, decorate it with the candied oranges and remaining chopped pistachios. Slice and enjoy with a lovely cup of hot tea or coffee. Earl Grey would be particularly fitting here.
Getting Ahead
Both the sponge and candied oranges can be made the day before. The orange slices keep well in a lidded container in the fridge. Ideally each layer separated by baking parchment, to prevent them from sticking to each other.
The cake will be fine for up to 5 days covered with kitchen foil or clingfilm. I used kitchen foil and domed it, so it wouldn’t touch the oranges and stick to them.
The cake also freezes well. Even with the icing, though it will soak into the cake a bit when thawing and not be as pretty anymore. So ideally ice later. Or just enjoy the extra flavour that soaked into the cake.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein
This super pretty pink Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein will brighten up your table while bringing you a zesty and nutty tasting cake that is very easy to make. The sponge is full of pistachio-orange flavour, while still feeling light enough to have it any day with a nice cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon. What’s more: It comes with about 10g of protein per slice, meaning you get your nutrition from your dessert. The candied orange slices are optional, but highly recommended and once you made them, you’ll wonder why you ever bought them, it’s so simple.
2 ¼cupspistachiosfinely chop 1 cup, keep 1/4 for decorating, grind rest
4blood orangeszest 1 + juice until you have 1 cup.
¾cupplain flour
½cup+2 tbsp whole wheat flourfine
2/3cupprotein powderI used MyProtein buttered popcorn flavour. Vanilla works too
¾cupbrown sugar
2tspbaking powder
½tspbaking soda
½tspkosher salt
1tspground cinnamon
Icing:
1blood orange
1.5cupsicing sugar
Candied Blood Orange Slices:
3Blood Orangescut into 0.2in slices
1cupsugar
½cupwater
Instructions
Candied Blood Orange Slices:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare a bowl of iced water.
Blanch the orange slices in boiling water for 2 minutes, then transfer them to the ice bath.
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, swirling the pan occasionally until the sugar dissolves.
Once the syrup reaches 225°F/110°C, gently add the orange slices in layers.
Simmer until the syrup thickens and reaches about 230°F/115°C, ensuring the orange slices are evenly coated.
Using tongs or a fork, transfer the candied orange slices to a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Allow them to cool for at least 1 hour.
Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein:
Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Grease a springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil and brown sugar until mostly dissolved. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until light and foamy.
Stir in the blood orange zest, juice, and protein powder until smooth and foamy.
In a separate bowl, combine the flours, ground pistachios (reserving 1/4 cup for garnish), baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Blood Orange Icing:
In a bowl or small jug, combine the blood orange juice with icing sugar. Start with 2-3 tablespoons of juice and adjust to reach a thick but pourable consistency.
Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
Allow the icing to set completely before decorating.
Decorate and Serve:
Arrange the candied blood orange slices on top of the cake and sprinkle with the reserved chopped pistachios.
Slice and serve the cake with a nice cup of tea or coffee.
Notes
Getting AheadBoth the sponge and candied oranges can be made the day before. The orange slices keep well in a lidded container in the fridge. Ideally each layer separated by baking parchment, to prevent them from sticking to each other.The cake will be fine for up to 5 days covered with kitchen foil or clingfilm. I used kitchen foil and domed it, so it wouldn’t touch the oranges and stick to them.The cake also freezes well. Even with the icing, though it will soak into the cake a bit when thawing and not be as pretty anymore. So ideally ice later. Or just enjoy the extra flavour that soaked into the cake.
This Vegetarian Caesar Salad with Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu answered all my cravings for the crunch of KFC chicken, the spiced marinade, and the urgent need for creamy, tangy, and punchy Caesar dressing on a fresh salad. Super satisfying, packed with protein from the tofu with a cashew based sauce, adding all the nutrition you could possibly want for dinner in one delicious plate.
Why You Will Love This
Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu
Did you ever feel you really wanted the crunch and flavour of KFC chicken, but in Tofu? Or anything other than meat really, but Tofu really offers itself due to the structure and tenderness you get, when you first press then marinate it. In this case in a marinade made from almond milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice and a spice mix from Joshua Weissman that is very similar to KFCs.
This infuses the tofu with lovely tang and lots of flavour, getting it ready to be coated in crushed cornflakes. You can bake it in the oven or pan fry, but I found it bakes best in the air fryer, giving you perfectly crunchy and golden pieces, that are rather addictive when dipped into the Caesar Cashew dressing.
The all-important Caesar Dressing made vegan
While typical Caesar dressing is made with mayonnaise and anchovies, I’m using a base of cashews, which are blended into a super creamy dressing with capers, to give the salty, briny umami notes you’d usually get from anchovies and Worcester sauce. Nutritional yeast replaces the parmesan, making the dressing vegan.
While you could of course use a vegan mayonnaise, I prefer the nutritional benefits of cashews, adding protein and minerals. Plus the more natural taste they give to any salad dressing. And I use them for many different ones like my Cashew Ranch Dressing.
Thyme Lemon Garlic Croutons
Another defining and rather addictive element of the Caesar salad are the croutons. They are also an ideal use for any stale bread you might have. I used homemade sourdough bread, but any reasonably good bread will do. A few days old is perfect, as it will crisp up in the oven or air fryer. I added fresh thyme from my garden, grated lemon zest from the lemon I used for the dressing, some garlic powder, salt, and olive oil, to give it a lovely herby and fresh flavour.
Making them in the air fryer is fantastic, as you only need to shake them once and it’s hands off apart from that. They come out perfectly golden and crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle.
Mixed Salad
While the classic Caesar Salad would be Romaine, I always like different veggies in my dinner, so I added shredded carrot, thinly sliced white cabbage, sweetcorn, red onions that are being quick pickled in some lemon juice.
I’ve also added black grapes, but if you are not a fan of fruit in your salads, you could swap them for black olives, which would go really well with the vegan Caesar dressing.
You could just leave out or swap around any of the veggies I added here. Cucumber and tomatoes would be nice too, radishes, different types of greens, kale in particular or even added asparagus.
The Ingredients
I’m just mentioning a few key ingredients here and why I’m using them. For the full list, please check the recipe card.
Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu
For the Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu I’m using firm tofu. In Ireland I find the best one of those I tried is from “The Tofuu Co.” https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/en-IE/products/294476706
You can use any brand, as long as it’s very firm, so it doesn’t fall apart when marinating and then breading.
Since I wanted to get as close as I could to buttermilk fried chicken, similar to KFC, but without the chicken and huge amount of fat, I used almond milk mixed lemon juice and spices. Don’t be put off by the fairly long list. You will likely have them in your spice collection already, as they are very common.
The Joshua Weissman recipe for the spice mix I adapted had celery powder in it, which I couldn’t find here, so I used celery salt. This made also up for the fact that Tofu is a bit more neutral than chicken on its own, so it can take more salt.
I left out the MSG though. Not last because I didn’t have any, but also due to its rather questionable reputation. Personally I admit I haven’t looked into it much, as I rarely eat out, let alone buy convenience food, so it wasn’t much of a topic for me to focus on.
If you are a fan, feel free to include some. I think the marinade does a fantastic job as it is though.
Seasoned Flour and Cornflakes are then used for “breading”. And because I’m not working with raw meat, the marinade does double duty instead of eggs, to attach the two dry coatings to the tofu.
The Cashew Caesar Dressing
Using cashews as base has become my favourite way to create super creamy, delicious, and nutritious salad dressings. I honestly wouldn’t go back to mayonnaise based, even without the calorie and nutrition consideration. I tried one recently again and simply didn’t like the greasy texture and taste anymore. The cashews are neutral enough to add any flavourings you like and with even a small highspeed blender like the Nutribullet you get an extremely smooth base.
While the original Caesar dressing didn’t have anchovies, they have become a rather classic way to add umami and saltiness to this tangy sauce. Brined capers, even though I’m not a fan of them on their own (wouldn’t eat anchovies on their own either) have a very similar effect when blended and add a hint of their briny flavour, which goes really well with the tangy punch of mustard and lemon juice that give the dressing its characteristic taste.
Often parmesan is used to add more saltiness and a cheesy background flavour. So you can use either grated parmesan or, like me, nutritional yeast for a very similar effect.
The Process
Salad
Prepare your salad ingredients:
Roughly chop the Romaine Lettuce, grate the carrots, finely shred the cabbage, drain and wash the sweetcorn, wash the grapes (or drain olives if you prefer salty to sweet) and keep all in separate containers.
Peel and thinly slice the onions. In a small bowl mix with ¼ tsp salt and 2-3 tbsp lemon juice. Cover and leave to marinade until ready to use.
All the veggies will keep well for 3-4 days, if you keep them separate.
Cashew Caesar Dressing
Drain the soaked cashews. Add all ingredients to a high speed blender. You can use a normal blender or food processor, but it won’t get as lovely smooth and creamy.
Blend until creamy.
Have a taste and add more salt, mustard, or lemon juice to balance the flavours to your liking.
Croutons
In a small bowl, mix your olive oil, chopped thyme (or any other hardy herb you might have on hand. Rosemary works very well too), garlic powder and salt.
Add your bread cubes to a larger bowl. Drizzle over your olive oil mix, turning the cubes over after half over it, so they are all coated evenly. Stir carefully to distribute the oil mix and let them sit for a few minutes so the oil can absorb.
Bake in your air fryer at 400°F/200°C for 4 minutes, toss and turn once, then bake for another 2 minutes. Transfer the croutons to a paper towel lined plate until ready to serve. Nibble a few, you know you want to.
The Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu
Similar to chicken, that improves dramatically with brining, tofu needs a bit of help to come to its full potential. So this needs a bit of planning ahead. Start about 2h before you plan to fry the tofu or the day before.
First remove your tofu from its package, drain the fluid and press it. You can either wrap it into a clean kitchen towel between 2 wooden boards and put something heavy on top. Or, if you want a much easier and less precarious solution, get a tofu press like this one and put it in the fridge for an hour or longer.
Once your tofu has given up some of its liquid, it’s time to marinade it. Cut into about ½ in / 1cm thick slices and halve them diagonal. You could just leave them in one piece, but I think more corners mean more crunch and more crunch is always better.
Mix your plant milk with a tbsp of lemon juice and let it stand while you get your spice mix together. Add the marinade spice mix to the now curdled milk and whisk well. In a container that is large enough to hold all tofu pieces in one layer or a freezer bag, add first your tofu then pour the tangy, spicy milk mix over it. Now let this marinade in the fridge for at least 1h, better even overnight.
Meanwhile, mix the flour with the spices and herbs for the dredge mix. This will season the tofu even more and give it that characteristic crust you’d get on fried chicken.
Now obviously we are not deep frying this, so the incredible crunchy crust that develops when the marinade-flour (and usually egg) mixture hits the hot fat, will come from crushed cornflakes.
In a firmly closed freezer bag, crush your cornflakes either by hand or, carefully, so you don’t pop the bag and scatter the crumbs across your kitchen (never happened to me…ahem…) with a rolling pin or bottom of a cooking pot. You want relatively rough crumbs, not fine as panko. Check the picture for the texture we are aiming for.
When you are ready to fry your tofu, set up a breading station with 3 rimmed containers or deep plates. Into one add your flour-spice dredge, the second will hold all the remaining marinade that wasn’t absorbed by the tofu, the third has the crushed cornflakes.
Using one hand for dry and one for wet, to avoid the dreaded dough fingers, firmly press your tofu first into the flour, coating it very well, pushing it in, so it sticks. Then into the marinade, turning once until coated- Last into the cornflakes, again, pressing firmly, covering it with the crumbs and pushing down until every last bit is well coated.
Spray both your air fryer basket and the tofu pieces with a bit of vegetable or avocado oil.
The crunchy tofu will take about 15 minutes in your air fryer at 400°F/200°C, turning it once very carefully after 10minutes, the fry for another 5 until golden and crunchy.
I you are making them in the oven, this will take about 25-30minutes at 450°F/225°C, turning them after 15 minutes.
To Serve
First drape a bed of romaine lettuce on a plate, followed by the carrots, cabbage, sweetcorn, onions and grapes or olives. Drizzle everything with a bit of the Vegan Cashew Caesar Dressing. Top with croutons and crispy tofu and serve with more dressing on the side, to drizzle over or dip your tofu pieces into.
Meal Prep
I prepared this Vegetarian Caesar Salad with Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu on my weekend, to have a fresh salad during my workdays. Keeping everything separate in containers, the tofu in a paper towel lined box, means you can assemble freshly, and everything remains crunchy.
I re-heated the tofu pieces in the air fryer before serving, so they were just as crispy as freshly made.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Vegetarian Caesar Salad with Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu
This Vegetarian Caesar Salad with Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu answered all my cravings for the crunch of KFC chicken, the spiced marinade, and the urgent need for creamy, tangy, and punchy Caesar dressing on a fresh salad. Super satisfying, packed with protein from the tofu with a cashew based sauce, adding all the nutrition you could possibly want for dinner in one delicious plate.
½cupraw cashewssoaked for 30min in just boiled water
½cupwater
¼cuplemon juice
2tbspnutritional yeast
2tspDijon mustard
2tspcapers
2clovesgarlic
Homemade Croutons
4slicessourdough breadcubed into bite sized pieces
1tspfresh thymechopped
½tspgarlic powder
1tspkosher salt
3tbspolive oil
Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu
1Blocktofupressed
1cupplant milk with lemon juice
1.5tspKosher salt
1tspground white pepper
2tspsmoked paprika
2tspgarlic powder
1.5cupscrushed cornflakes
11 Herbs and Spices Dredge
1.5cupsall-purpose flour
1tspfreshly ground black pepper
1.5tbspKosher salt
2tspground white pepper
1tspginger powder
1tspcelery powder or celery salt
2tspgarlic powder
1tspsmoked paprika
1tspdried oreganocrushed
1tspdried thymecrushed
2tspmustard powder
Instructions
Salad:
Prepare all salad ingredients as mentioned. Marinate sliced onions in salt and lemon juice. Keep all ingredients separate.
Vegan Cashew Caesar Dressing:
Drain soaked cashews.
In a blender, combine soaked cashews, water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, capers, and garlic cloves.
Blend until creamy. Adjust salt, mustard, or lemon juice to taste.
Homemade Croutons:
Preheat air fryer to 400°F/200°C.
In a small bowl, mix olive oil, chopped thyme, garlic powder, and kosher salt.
Toss cubed bread in the olive oil mixture until evenly coated.
Air fry for 4 minutes, toss, then fry for another 2 minutes until golden and crisp.
Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu:
Press tofu to remove excess liquid.
Cut tofu into slices about ½ inch thick, then half diagonal.
Mix plant milk with lemon juice and let it curdle.
Combine the plant “buttermilk” with salt, white pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Marinate tofu in this mixture for at least 1 hour in the fridge. Overnight is better.
Crush cornflakes into coarse crumbs.
Mix flour with spices for dredge.
Set up a breading station with flour-spice dredge, remaining marinade, and crushed cornflakes.
Coat tofu slices in flour mixture, then marinade, and last crushed cornflakes.
Spray air fryer basket and tofu slices with oil.
Air fry tofu at 400°F/200°C for 15 minutes, flipping once after 10 minutes.
To Serve:
Arrange romaine lettuce on plates.
Top with grated carrots, sliced cabbage, sweetcorn, marinated onions, grapes (or olives), and croutons.
Drizzle with Vegan Cashew Caesar Dressing.
Add crispy air-fried tofu on top.
Serve additional dressing on the side for dipping or drizzling.
Enjoy your Vegetarian Caesar Salad with Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu!
Notes
Meal PrepI prepared this Vegetarian Caesar Salad with Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu on my weekend, to have a fresh salad during my workdays. Keeping everything separate in containers, the tofu in a paper towel lined box, means you can assemble freshly, and everything remains crunchy.I re-heated the tofu pieces in the air fryer before serving, so they were just as crispy as freshly made.
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