Tofu and Black Bean Bowl

Ingredients

For the lime-pickled onions

  • 75g red onion, very finely sliced or mandolin
  • ½ lime juiced
For the tofu and beans

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 195g firm tofu, well drained and crumbled
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin (ground)
  • 1 tsp garlic (sub asafetida?)
  • 1 tsp dried onion (granules WTF? - sub fried shallots)
  • ½ tsp oregano (dried)
  • ½ tin black beans (can) and their liquid
For the tortilla strips

  • 75g corn tortillas finely sliced
  • ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the garlic yoghurt

  • 100g greek yoghurt full fat
  • ½ - 1 garlic cloves minced
For the salad

  • 125g baby tomatoes halved
  • 180g romaine lettuce finely sliced
  • 165g sweetcorn (tinned is best)
  • 15g coriander roughly chopped

Method

Swap the tortilla for sweet potatoes and/or the lettuce for kale...

  1. Place the red onions and lime juice into a bowl and toss to coat. Set aside to macerate while you make the rest. The longer the onions sit in the acidic lime juice the brighter pink they will turn and the more mellow they will test, so this step can be done up to 3 days in advance.
  2. Heat the olive oil for the tofu in a large frying pan. Add the tofu and cook for about 1 minute, stirring to ensure it is evenly coated in oil. Then add the tomato puree, spices, dried onion and garlic, oregano and nutritional yeast. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until darkened and fragrant.
  3. Add the black beans and their liquid and cook for 4-5 minutes, until piping hot and slightly darkened. The liquid should largely absorb into the tofu, leaving you with a mixture similar to fried mincemeat. Turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly in, needs to be warm but not hot for serving.
  4. Preheat oven to 180°C. Drizzle the olive oil over the tortilla strips and toss to coat. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden and crispy. Once done, lightly sprinkle with salt immediately.
  5. Place the yoghurt into a bowl. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Assemble ingredients in bowl with dollop of yoghurt.