KIMCHI BAKED TOFU WITH MISO NODDLES
Health Coach Louise Murray recommends improving your gut health by:
Rebuilding your microbiome with fermented foods - eat them every day! Fermented foods provide the gut with healthy bacteria while crowding out unhealthy bacteria. Here are a few examples to explore: Kimchi, Miso, and Kombucha.
Never heard of these? Here is a quick gut health food 101:
Kimchi: is made from fermented cabbage (often with onion, radish and carrot) with a variety of spices. It is a traditional Korean condiment, and it flavour is described as spicy and sour. But why is it good for your gut? It’s fermented which means the nutrients in it are more bioavailable - making it easier for the body to absorb its goodness. And the cabbage is a prebiotic, which means it will feed feed the good bacteria living in your gut.
Miso: is a Japanese seasoning made by fermenting beans with koji, a fungal culture. It’s a protein rich paste with an ‘umami’ flavour (know as the fifth flavour sensation). The depth of flavour can range from sweet and mild, to salty and rich. But why is it good for your gut? It’s rich in healthy probiotics (that support your gut’s natural good-bug bad-bug balance) is and packed with minerals such as iron, calcium and phosphorus, and vitamin B.
Kombucha: is a mild fizzy, fermented drink made from sweetened tea and a culture know as a ‘scoby’ (look one up - it looks like some form of alien life form - but don’t let it but you off!). But why is it good for your gut? Like miso, Kombucha contains probiotic microbes. Want to give Kombucha a try? We recommend Remedy Drinks Kombucha - check out the members page for an exclusive discount.
This inspired me to create a dish that was all about giving your gut some love! This dish using Kimchi and Miso and goes really nicely with a glass of Kombucha. It’s full of flavour and it guaranteed to get those tastebuds singing.
Serves: 2
Time to create: 40 minutes
Equipment: Chopping board, knifes + spoons, blender (alternatively a whisk), small mixing bowl, baking tray, plate, and a non-stick pan)
Ingredients
Baked tofu + veggies:
80g Kimchi (I used shop brought (Vadasz Raw Kimchi) but you can make your own using this simple recipe)
280g block firm tofu, cut into chunky pieces
2 cloves of garlic (thinly sliced)
Fresh ginger, approx. 2cm x 2cm x 2cm (grated)
50ml of water
1 tbsp soy sauce (or Tamari if gluten free)
1 tbsp of rice wine vinegar
200g of fresh veggies (pick from the following: baby corn, tender stem broccoli, peppers, sugar snap peas)
2 tbsp sesame seeds
Noodles:
2 portions of noddles (I used wholewheat)
1 tbsp miso paste
1 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp soy sauce (or Tamari if gluten free)
4 tbsp almond milk
Topping:
Fresh coriander (if you’re a crazy coriander hater then leave it out) and slices of spring onion
Method
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Place the kimchi, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and the water into a blender. Whizz until combined. Pour into a bowl and add the tofu pieces, turn to coat in the marinade. If you have time leave for 30 minutes in the fridge to intensify the flavour.
Put the sesame seeds onto a plate then take the tofu pieces out of the marinade and coat in the seeds.
Place the veggies onto a baking try and pour of the marinade. Toss until the veggies are coated. Pop the tofu pieces on top and place in the centre of the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tofu is toasted a slightly golden colour and the veggies are cooked.
Place the miso paste, tahini, soy sauce and almond milk into a small bowl and stir until it forms a paste. Leave to one side.
For the remaining 5 minutes of baking, cook the noodles according to instructions. Once cooked drain and add in the paste. Stir over a low heat until the noddles are evenly coated.
Remove the baked tofu and veggies from the oven.
Share the noodles between two bowls. Top with the baked tofu and veggies, and sprinkle with coriander and spring onions.
Enjoy!
Top tip: The tofu and veggies can also be served with rice or as a salad bowl.
