Wild rocket pesto and chunky tofu

Posted by petra08 on January 13, 2015 · 5 Comments 

I was after a light and vegetarian dinner. I didn’t have anything in mind and I wanted something loaded with flavour and goodness that would still keep me full for a long time. Sometimes when I eat vegetarian dishes I get hungry again after an hour or so, I don’t mind at all but this was dinner and I needed something that would keep me off the cheese afterwards!

I rummaged through my cupboards and came up with the main ingredients, wild rocket, a tin of tomatoes and tofu. I decided to make a spicy pesto from the wild rocket and a tofu and tomato stew, warming and filling at the same time.

 

 

Wild rocket pesto

preparation time 5 minutes 

cooking time 0 minutes 

serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 good handful of wild rocket, rinsed and dried
• 1/2 dl or 1/4 cup cashew nuts
• 1/2 dl mature light cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tsp crushed chilli
• 1/2 dl or 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place the wild rocket, the cashew nuts, chilli and half of the olive oil in a blender. Add more olive oil as you blend until it has pesto consistency. Grate the cheese and add it to the pesto. Cover any left over pesto with the remaining oil.

 

 

I used left over pesto  for a chunky tofu stew. The base would have worked with meat or fish but the need for light foods after the holidays made me reach for the tofu. It was a quick and easy meal, dinner on the table within 30 minutes.

 

Chunky tofu stew 

preparation time 10 minutes 

cooking time 20 minutes 

serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 can of tinned tomatoes
• 1 bayleaf
• 2 celery sticks
• 1 onion
• 340 gr or 12 oz firm silken tofu
• 1 tin of black beans
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp wild rocket pesto
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp oil for cooking

Chop the onion and celery stick and place in a pan with the oil and gently sweat, don’t brown.

 

 

Rinse the black beans. 

 

Cube the tofu and set aside until 5 minutes remain. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil, simmer for 15 minutes with the bay leaf and paprika powder. Taste with salt and pepper. Add the black beans and bring to a boil, add the crushed garlic clove and lower heat to simmer. Add the pesto, stir and add the tofu. When the tofu is warmed through it is ready to be served.

 

Serve with more pesto and some bread if you wish to soak up the juices from the stew.

 

 

 

The beans gave the stew texture and the pesto added flavour. It was a homely dish, light and guilt free to tuck in to.

 

 

 

Advertisement

Filed under Allotment/Veg, Beans, Celery, Chilli, Garlic, Home made produce, Main course, Onion, Pesto, Recipe, Tofu, Vegetarian · Tagged with rocket pesto, silken tofu, tofu stew, wild rocket pesto