Tofu, Mushrooms and Courgette in a Miso Broth with Noodles

So an April Fool's Day prank kind of backfired, and now we're aiming to eat vegan and vegetarian meals for the next month (as well as go sugar free!)...

Fortunately, I had a pack of firm tofu in the fridge on the day it happened (April 1st, of course...) so we were able to dive straight in with a tasty vegan dinner that everyone enjoyed! However, I am since discovering that planning and cooking meals for four people who all love their meat, fish and sugar is no easy feat - especially when you take out dairy and eggs for some of the meals too!

As it was so simple and tasty (and healthy!), I thought it would be nice to share it. It's based on the kind of thing I often throw together, but I wrote down the ingredients and quantities as I went for future reference (after all, we might be needing this meal again in the next month!). You can of course substitute any vegetables you fancy, just cook them to your tastes - you could even buy a pack of nice stir fry vegetables (you know, like the ones with tender stem broccoli and squash in) for total convenience!

Serves four, 185 calories per portion for the tofu and vegetable broth. Add 228 calories per serving for a nest of wholewheat noodles (making a total of 412 calories a portion) - or if you're on a fast day you could have zero / magic noodles for only a handful of calories, or make courgette noodles (and maybe substitute the sliced courgette for a different vegetable!).

Sea-spiced Aubergines

The correct translation of this very-popular Sichuan dish, is 'fish-fragrant' aubergines, but I tend to think people are more familiar with 'sea-spiced', which doesn't give the incorrect impression that there is any actual fish in the dish (the term comes from using flavours often used to cook fish with).

This quantity would serve four as a vegetarian main dish, or six to eight as a vegetable side dish, or as a selection of Chinese dishes and it's a great accompaniment to a drier dish (like a steamed dish such as my Steamed Chilli Chicken, maybe some home-made Char Siu Pork or a smoked dish such as Tea-Smoked Chicken or duck). This entire quantity is only 337 calories, making it 84 calories per serving for a main, and only 42 to 56 calories for a side dish (depending on whether serving between eight or six people).

Unlike some Chinese dishes, it freezes and re-heats well - the next day I tossed some of it with some cooked noodles and stir-fried mince with a little extra light soy and sesame to make another really quick and tasty dish (see notes below for noodle ideas using this)!

Singapore Noodles

Like your noodles spicy?

Tasty, filling and quick to cook – you could even fool yourself that you’re eating your favourite takeaway – but no hidden nasties and far healthier! 

Serves two (easily doubled), and if you're counting calories, it's 275 calories per portion made with shirataki (zero) noodles, 425 made with egg (wheat) noodles, 445 with rice noodles.

I wanted to make something using shirataki noodles, and this seemed like a great choice - spicy, with lots of crunchy vegetables - traditionally made with fine rice noodles/vermicelli, which are very similar.

Bingo! The other half loved them, and proclaimed that you couldn't tell the difference (and he's not had them before!). So, even though my nose is running slightly, from leaving the seeds in the chilli (you can de-seed it if you want to lessen the heat!), I'm calling this a win!