Street food in the UK, I’m very glad to say, is on the up and up. Hot dogs and burgers made with cheap and often unhealthy ingredients are making way for fresher and more vibrant fare. With this in mind Cauldron Foods are challenging bloggers to create a street food recipe using one of their vegetarian products. Cauldron Cumberland sausages have long been a favourite of mine, but I am less familiar with their tofu. Sausages, I thought would be too easy, so I opted for the tofu.

But, the big question was, what would I do with it? In the end it was easy. I had a first picking of French beans (very exciting) and some tomatoes in need of using up. I decided to make a dryish version of taze fasulye, a Turkish dish otherwise known as green bean and tomato stew and top it with roasted tofu. Served in a split wholemeal pitta bread, this would make perfect street food I reckoned – healthy, tasty and attractive. As it happened, we ate ours at home atop a bed of brown rice, another street food option, though not quite as convenient.
Last year I made chocolate dukkah for a six course chocolate dinner and it was a roaring success. As I’d made quite a big batch of it, I froze it in little tubs and have been using it ever since. Dukkah is an Egyptian blend of coarsely ground nuts, seeds, spices and herbs that is traditionally used, along with a bowl of olive oil, to dunk bread in. It also makes a good dip for quails eggs and works well added to roasted vegetables. It was time to try it out with tofu.
Having tried it, I could only wonder why I hadn’t done so before. It’s a fabulous way to cook tofu. Luckily, as I’m unable to source this product in town, I bought an extra pack, so this will be appearing on our supper table again very soon. In fact the whole meal was delicious. Fasulye makes a regular appearance on our table at this time of year, but I’ve never eaten it with tofu before. The flavours and textures are complementary and it makes for a filling and satisfying dish.
I am of course entering this into the Cauldron Street Food Competition – you never know the £200 prize might be mine!
I have plenty more Tin and Thyme recipes which feature tofu as a main ingredient. And for even more ideas, head over to my tofu Pinterest board.
October 2014 Update – Amazingly I did win the prize – hooray!
Sharing
Vanesther over at Bangers & Mash is allowing us to use whatever spice we want for this month’s Spice Trail. I have used chilli in my fasulye so am submitting that.
The basil was a last minute inspiration and I’m so glad I used it as it gave yet another welcome dimension to this dish. Having used it, I am sending my fasulye off to Karen at Lavender and Lovage who is looking for beautiful basil for her Cooking with Herbs event.
The beans and garlic are both home grown and the basil and tomatoes were in our occasional veg box. As such I’m entering my fasulye to Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary for her Shop Local.
As the tomatoes were in dire need of being used up, I’m also sending the fasulye off to Anne’s Kitchen who is hosting this month’s No Waste Food Challenge on behalf of Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary.
Using home grown produce as well as my tip for making dukkah in a large batch and freezing it in small portions makes this eligible for Credit Crunch Munch. This is being hosted by Sarah of Maison Cupcake on behalf of Helen over at Fuss Free Flavours and Camilla over at Fab Food 4 All.
print recipe
- 100g sesame seeds
- 100g hazelnuts
- 50g coriander seeds
- 25g cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 25g cocoa powder
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 1 jar
print recipe
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 4 – 5 cloves garlic – chopped
- 400g tomatoes (or use a tin of chopped ones)
- 1 fresh red chilli – deseeded if less heat desired and finely chopped
- 1 Kg French beans (or other green beans) – topped and tailed
- 1 tsp honey
- 396g block fresh tofu – drained (I used Cauldron)
- 3 tsp soy sauce (I use tamari)
- 1 heaped tbsp dukkah
- a few sprigs basil leaves – torn
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 4 servings
I was sent a £2 voucher from Cauldron Foods to buy one of their products. There was no requirement to right a positive review and as always, all opinions are my own.
Congratulations on your win! I love the idea of the cocoa in the dukkah.
Thanks Corina – I was thrilled. And the cocoa dukkah is delicious.
Tofu has such a bad name its great to see it used in something so tasty looking! Thank you for sending into July’s No Waste food Challenge!
Anne
x
Yes you are right Anne. It’s not something I use that often, but it can be delicious.
That dish looks delicious and sounds luvly to me. Another fine way to use tofu.
Thanks Chris – rarely think to buy tofu, but when it’s dressed up it can make for an easy and delicious supper.
Good luck in the contest, this sounds like a winner to me! I love that chocolate made it into your dukkah recipe, fabulous!
Thanks Jayne. I’m not actually sure my entry has even registered!!!
What a fab recipe! Thanks for sharing with the no waste food challenge 🙂
Thanks Elizabeth – it was very tasty 🙂
This sounds amazing, can’t believe I’d not come across it before. I must get back into using my dukkah as I had two jars earlier in the year and only used one.
Thanks for adding to Credit Crunch Munch this month. It looks like my kind of dinner 🙂
The round up is now published at 24 Thrifty Summer Recipe Ideas and next month’s event is being hosted by Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary.
Thanks Sarah. Your round-up looks so very tasty.
Wow – this sounds absolutely divine. Is it too late to start cooking?! (It’s 12:42am lol).
Great recipe!
Louise x
Never too late to start cooking Lousie 😉
I really like dukkah and your recipe really really appeals, I am hoping to give it a go this weekend, providing I remember to pick up some hazelnuts
Hope you like it Shaheen – let me know.
Love this recipe! I’m a huge fan of middle eastern cuisine and have their staple ingredients always in my cupoboard 😉
Oh fabulous – me and you both Sylvia 🙂
Wow, what an incredibly idea. Love the look of the tofu and can’t wait to try chocolate Dukkah – such an inspired creation. So hope that £200 is yours – you deserve it! And a great entry for this month’s #TheSpiceTrail too 🙂
Oh thank you Vanesther, you’ve just put a big smile on my face 🙂
Such an interesting idea. I used dukkah for the first time this year and loved it. I bet my cocoa flaxseed mix would work well with added spices. I’m going to give it a go. Thanks for the inspiration. Never a fan if tofu unless it’s heavily spiced and then crispy so I am so intrigued!
Oh yes Dom, I bet it would. Give it a go and don’t forget to let me know what you think. I’m sort of with you on the tofu.
The Lebanese have a version of this stew as well and I adore it. Hope you win the competition.
Yes Bintu, I think it’s really a general Middle Eastern dish. I came across it any number of times in Egypt.
Tofu is a fab ingredient and definitely makes for a great street food recipe. Love the Dukkah…… great idea to add a chocolate hit!
Thanks Kate AND gluten free too 🙂
Street food is just so good – and the ability to cook it at home? Bookmarked!
Good street food is good Emma – some of it still has a way to go though.
Think it goes without saying that this is totally up my street and I wouldn’t have thought of using chocolate in this nutty spice mix but oh my goodness why didn’t I think of this myself. In very impressed x
Thanks Deena – I am tuned to chocolate, so “would chocolate work with this: is often my first thought 😉
Chocolate dukkah sounds so delicious & roasted with the tofu, what a fab idea.
Thanks Sarah 🙂
This sounds really yummy, I love cauldron tofu 🙂
It’s definitely one of the better one’s I’ve tried Sarah.
That dukkah (I will remember it by thinking of it as “dunker” !) looks superb, and I shall try it out myself for sure. Thanks for the yummy recipe 🙂 PS: Hope you win!
Thank you, that’s very kind. I like your appellation “dunker” – good one.
LOVE how you incorporated chocolate into your own Dukkah mix Choclette, as only you can do with such skill and aplomb! GREAT recipe and thanks for squeezing this into Cooking with Herbs! Karen xxxx
Haha thank you Karen – plenty of skill and aplomb me!
That sounds good! I like the Cauldron smoked tofu – it goes nice and crunchy around the edges when you fry it.
Oh that’s interesting Alicia, I didn’t know they did smoked tofu. Obviously not where I bought this!