By TV Chef, Jeeny Maltese

Jeeny Maltese, Co-Founder of My Nutrition Ireland and Food/Recipe Editor at the theTaste.ie has kindly agreed to share her content with us. Jeeny is a TV Chef who specialises in producing healthy recipes and alternatives.

For the next 7 weeks we’ll be sharing with you some of her finest creations. Week 2, is the amazing, Sticky Korean Tofu & Stir Fry Kale. A magnificent vegetarian dish that even the carnivores will be certain to enjoy. Follow the below recipe to put your cooking skills to the test.

Sticky Korean Tofu & Stir Fry Kale Recipe. If you have never cooked tofu, this recipe is a great tasty introduction! A sticky, sweet, savoury and slightly spiced sauce, serve with the perfect company of kale and sticky rice , just the way we like it! If you have never tried “Gochujang” we promise you are going to love this paste, a Korean red chili paste that is savory, sweet, and spicy, Fermented condiment made from chili powder, glutinous rice, meju powder, yeotgireum, and salt. The sweetness comes from the starch of cooked glutinous rice, cultured with saccharifying enzymes during the fermentation process. If you don’t like chilli just replace it with tomato paste. Perfect light dinner or lunch to pack and go!

Ingredients:
(4 – 6 servings)

– 400g firm tofu or smoked tofu
– 2 Tablespoons of corn flour
– Sprinkle of white pepper & sea salt

For the Sauce
– 1 teaspoon oil (like peanut or sesame)
– 1 Tablespoon chopped ginger
– 3 Tablespoons chopped garlic
– ¼ cup mirin, or rice wine ( not vinegar)
– ¼ cup tamari sauce (or soy)
– zest of one orange
– ¼ cup orange juice
– 1-2 tablespoons Gochujang (Korean red chilli paste or any chilli paste)
– 1–2 tablespoons red chili paste (like Sambal Oelek or sriracha), more to taste.
– 3 tablespoons brown sugar or algave syrup
– 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, more to taste
– 1 tablespoon sesame oil

For the Kale stir fry
– 200g Kale, washed, and chopped finely (remove core)
– 1 tsp sesame oil
– 4 Tbsp. vegetable stock
– Season with sea salt & white pepper

Garnish
– Toasted sesame seeds
– ChanChan Korean Chilli Flakes

Method:

To make the sauce
1. Sauté the garlic and ginger in the oil over medium heat until fragrant and golden.
2. Add the wine, simmer for 2 minutes, stir in the tamari sauce, orange zest, orange juice, gochujang (or tomato pure if you don’t like chilli), chili paste, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.
3. Taste for heat, adding more and adjusting the flavour if you like. Turn heat off.

To make the kale
1. Heat up on medium to high heat, a wok or non stick frying pan.
2. Stir fry kale with vegetable stock and seasoning. about 2-5 minutes, until kale turns bright green. Ready to serve.

Tofu
1. Cut tofu lengthwise or diced, pat dry with a kitchen paper towel.
2. Sprinkle white pepper & sea salt. Toss in corn flour.
3. Fry with a tiny amount of sesame oil, until crispy.
4. Toss in the hot sauce before serving, sprinkle some sesame seeds & chilli flakes.
5. Serve with stir fry Kale and your carbohydrate of choice, we love sticky black rice.

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