charred tofu and noodle salad.

Bear with me. There are noodles in this dish. There is also iceberg lettuce, tofu, aubergine, courgette, and onion. But I absolutely promise it works, even if it seems a bit bizarre.

It's a summery, warm-cold bowl of salty, sweet, spicy deliciousness. And it's ideal for what seems to be the one week of summer that has belatedly arrived. The crisp lettuce, which usually wouldn't get past my supermarket basket, brightens up the marinated, almost-blackened tofu. Noodles add some bulk and soak up the garlicky soy dressing. And I would hasten to add that it barely contains any oil, if you are conscious of such things (which I am not).

*****

1/2 block firm tofu, sliced into 1 cm thick squares
1 small aubergine, sliced into 1/2 cm rounds
1 courgette, sliced into 1/2 cm rounds
1/4 white onion, sliced
2 spring onions, sliced
2 cups or so of iceberg lettuce, washed, dried, and set aside for serving
100 grams egg noodles, cooked, rinsed, and cooled
chopped flat leaf parsley for garnishing

Marinade:
3 Tbsp. tamari
2 Tbsp. brown rice vinegar
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. red chilli, diced or jarred
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. honey
3 Tbsp. water

Dressing:
2 Tbsp. tamari
1 Tbsp. brown rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. maple syrup

1. Begin by mixing your marinade, then soak the tofu squares for about twenty minutes in the marinade. 2. Cook the tofu slices in a hot wok or under the grill until browned, about five minutes per side, and then set aside. Reserve the marinade. 3. In a wok, stirfry your aubergine, courgette, and onion until soft, and then pour over your remaining marinade. Quickly stir in your spring onions and noodles and remove from heat. 4. Mix the ingredients for your dressing. 5. In a large bowl, serve your lettuce, noodles and vegetables. Top with tofu squares, dress, and sprinkle over some parsley (or mint or Thai basil would work well also) before serving.