Henry Firth - BISH BASH BOSH!

Cut the pepper in half, cut out the stems and seeds and cut the flesh into 2.5cm chunks. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Rip the stems from the chillies or, if you prefer a spicy soup, keep the stems and spilt the chilli down the middle to expose the seeds. Cut the ends off the green beans and slice them in half.

Put the saucepan over a medium heat.Pour in half the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the ginger, lemongrass, shallots and lime leaves and stir very gently for 3–4 minutes. Pour in the remaining coconut milk and the water and simmer for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and chillies and stir gently for 3–4 minutes.

Add the green beans to the panand stir gently for 1 minute. Add the red pepper, cherry tomatoes, soy sauce and coconut sugar and stir gently to mix everything together. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 7–8 minutes. Take the pan off the heat.

To finish the soup.Rip the leaves from the coriander and chop roughly. Halve and shred the spring onions. Cut the limes in half and squeeze the juice into the soup. Stir two-thirds of the chopped coriander leaves into the soup, reserving the rest, and simmer for 1 minute. Taste and add more soy sauce for saltiness or lime juice for sourness, if needed. Serve, garnished with the reserved coriander leaves and spring onions.

This recipe is super-quick, packed full of flavour and answers the age-old question, ‘what should I do with tofu?’ It’s a great dinner option if you don’t have much time but want something absolutely delicious. Pressing the tofu is really important here as it needs to be the right, firm texture.

SERVES 2.

1 x 280g block firm tofu (smoked tofu works well too).

2.5cm piece fresh ginger.

1 garlic clove.

1 fresh red chilli.

4 spring onions.

30ml lime juice (about 1½–2 limes).

50g cornflour.

vegetable oil, for frying.

80g soft brown sugar.

4 tbsp soy sauce.

160ml coconut water.

250g cooked basmati rice, or use 1 x 250g bag microwavable rice, to serve.

2 heads pak choi.

2 tbsp sesame oil.

¼ tsp salt.

2 tsp sesame seeds.

Tofu press or 2 clean tea towels and a weight such as a heavy book. Fine grater or Microplane. Large frying pan. Line a plate with kitchen paper. Wok. Griddle pan.

Press the tofuusing a tofu press or place it between two clean tea towels, lay it on a plate and put a weight on top. Leave for at least 30 minutes to drain and firm up before you start cooking.

Meanwhile, peel the gingerby scraping off the skin with a spoon and finely grate it. Peel and grate the garlic. Rip the stem from the chilli, cut it in half lengthways and remove the seeds if you prefer, then thinly slice. Finely chop two-thirds of the spring onions. Ribbon the remaining spring onions and keep to one side to garnish. Cut the limes in half.

Put the cornflour in a shallow bowl.Cut the drained tofu into 8 slices and roll them evenly in the cornflour to coat.

Place the frying pan on a medium-high heat.Pour enough vegetable oil into the pan to cover the base generously. Heat until a wooden spoon dipped into the oil sizzles around the edges. Lay the tofu in the pan and fry for 5–6 minutes, turning halfway. Drain on kitchen paper.

Pour 1 tablespoon oil into the wok and place over a high heat. Add the grated ginger and garlic, the chopped spring onions and the sliced chilli. Stir-fry for 90 seconds. Sprinkle over the sugar and stir until a syrup forms. Stir in the soy sauce and coconut water. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for roughly 15 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by two-thirds. Squeeze in the lime juice. Reduce the heat to low.

Heat the rice or cook it following the instructions on the packet.

To cook the pak choi, put the griddle pan on a high heat. Cut the pak choi into quarters. Put it in a mixing bowl and toss with the sesame oil and salt. Lay the pak choi on the hot griddle pan, cut-side down, and cook until they get black char lines. Transfer to plates.

Place the slices of prepared tofu in the wok, one by one, and toss carefully so they’re well covered in the sticky sauce.

Divide the rice between plates.Top with the sticky tofu. Drizzle over any leftover sauce. Garnish with reserved spring onions and sesame seeds. Serve with the chargrilled pak choi.

This amazing recipe was the brainchild of Alexis Gauthier, and was shared with the world through a collaboration we did with him. Spread it on sourdough toast and serve with cornichons for the perfect starter or canapé with drinks – it tastes like proper, posh pâté! If you’re eating it straightaway, serve in ramekins, or else store in sterilised jars in the fridge for up to a week.

MAKES 4 SMALL JARS OR RAMEKINS.

2 sprigs fresh rosemary.

3 sprigs fresh thyme.

7 sage leaves.

2 tbsp olive oil.

1 eschalion (banana) shallot.

a pinch of salt.

2 garlic cloves.

18 button mushrooms.

2 tbsp cognac.

150g walnuts.

400g cooked lentils (home-made or from a packet).

2½ tbsp soy sauce.

½ or 1 very small cooked beetroot (about 30g).

100g dairy-free butter.

a few peppercorns, to garnish.

good-quality toasted sourdough bread or baguette (or a pack of crackers), to serve.

cornichons, to serve, optional.

4 small sterilised glass jars or ramekins. Frying pan. Food processor. Small saucepan.

To sterilise the jars and lids, wash them in hot, soapy water then fill them to the top with boiling water. Drain on a tea towel until completely dry.

Remove the leaves from the herbsby running your thumb and forefinger from the top to the base of the stems (the leaves should easily come away). Reserve a few leaves and sprigs for garnish and finely chop the rest.

Pour the oil into the frying pan over a medium heat.Peel and roughly chop the shallot and add it to the pan. Add a pinch of salt and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent.

Peel and roughly chop the garlicand add to the pan. Cook for a further 3 minutes. Chop the mushrooms and add them to the pan. Cook, stirring continuously, for 5 minutes, until everything is well softened. Add the finely chopped herbs and the cognac.

Transfer the contents of the pan to the food processor.Chop the walnuts and add them to the processor with the cooked lentils, soy sauce and beetroot. Blitz until almost smooth. Transfer the mixture to the prepared jars or ramekins and smooth the tops with the back of a spoon.

Place the small saucepan over a low heat.Add the dairy-free butter and melt without heating it too much as it can split. Pour it over the paté to completely cover. Place a few herb leaves, sprigs and peppercorns on top and leave to cool. Seal the jars (or cover the ramekins with cling film) and refrigerate to chill.

Serve with the toasted sourdough bread or crackersand cornichons, if using.