Cooking With Kids is a weekly recipe series on getting creative in the kitchen with the family.
Say goodbye to sad salads and learn how to up your salad game with MasterChef finalist, Sandy Tang’s recipe, which is ideal for either a quick and easy lunch or light dinner.
Whether it’s helping coat the tofu with seasoned cornflour or making the glaze, kids can get involved at almost every step of the way.
“It’s important to make sure all sides are coated evenly to ensure the tofu doesn’t burn and to get a full burst of flavour with every bite. Once coated, they need to shake off the excess,” Tang says. “They can also be tasked with making the glaze, whilst being educated about what flavours work well together.”
Aside from getting experimental with bold flavours and learning how to balance a tasty combination of savoury, sour and sweet. Kids can learn about the benefits of tofu, which may be a new ingredient to them.
“It’s a versatile and fulfilling meat alternative and is a great source of protein,” she explains. “They can also be introduced to flavours from around the world. Lee Kum Kee’s seasoned rice vinegar, for example, has been made from authentic vinegar from Zhenjiang, a city in eastern China on the banks of the Yangtze river. Pull out a map and give your kids a geography lesson while you’re cooking. Teach them about how cultures and locations influence food and ways of cooking.”
Worried about spice levels for kids? You and your little ones can work together to make adjustments to suit their spice levels, if needed. “Stimulate their palates, allow them to explore the amount of heat they are happy to taste,” Tang adds. “You can also remove the chilli bean sauce from the recipe if you’d prefer a non-spicy version.”
Crispy tofu with Spicy Sichuan Glaze Salad
Serves: 2 | Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
3 tbsp cornflour
2 tsp five-spice powder
1 tsp salt
500g firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 2cm slices
1 ½ tbsp Lee Kum Kee chilli bean sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp Lee Kum Kee seasoned rice vinegar
4 tbsp water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic
For the salad:
2 gem lettuces
½ cucumber
2 tbsp Lee Kum Kee seasoned rice vinegar
1 spring onion, chopped
sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)
Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas mark 5
2. Mix the cornflour, five-spice powder and salt together. Coat each piece of tofu in the mix, ensuring all sides are coated evenly before shaking off any excess.
3. Bake the tofu slices for 20 minutes, until the coating is crispy.
4. Combine the seasoned rice vinegar, chilli bean sauce, honey and water together in a bowl.
5. Add oil to a frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and the baked tofu pieces and lightly sear them for 1-2 minutes.
6. Evenly pour the chilli bean mix over the tofu. Remove from the heat when the sauce is completely reduced, and no excess liquid is left.
7. Make your salad and dress it with the seasoned rice vinegar and give everything a good toss. Place the tofu on top and garnish with spring onions and sesame seeds.