Smoked Tofu Cabbage Wraps
Making rice for a meal any time soon? Why not make a little extra and prep ahead for these delish cabbage wraps? Out in Portugal, I’m back to basics with flavours and ingredients - even getting the tofu for this recipe was a trek, but it’s surprising to me how good something can taste with a very simple combination of flavours.
Song Suggestions:
Let Go - Cody Simpson
Best Day of My Life - Tom Odell
Ingredients:
200g cooked rice
200g smoked tofu
1 red pepper
1 tin borlotti beans (PT: feijão manteiga)
1 generous chunk fresh ginger (about 2 tsp finely chopped)
Olive oil
5 large cabbage leaves
2-3 tsp garlic powder, add as needed
Recipe:
This recipe assumes you already have cooked rice. If you don’t, get it on the hob whilst you prep the rest!
Mash the tofu with a fork, into a scramble consistency.
Finely dice the red pepper and peel and finely dice the ginger.
Rinse the beans clean from the can.
To a saucepan, add a little olive oil, the tofu, the red pepper, the ginger and garlic. Sauté until the red pepper goes soft and the tofu starts to brown a little on the outside.
In a big bowl, combine the mixture you’ve just cooked with the rice and mix until well combined.
Bring a large saucepan of water to boil - add in the leaves and cook for 1-2 minutes then remove and pat dry with kitchen roll.
Cut the thick stem out of each leaf, so that you’re left with a small triangle at the bottom where it used to be.
Stuff with the rice mixture then roll them tightly, as you would a burrito.
Enjoy!
A Bite Out of Life
My life has always been split between two countries - Portugal and the UK. When me and my brother were younger, my grandparents (the ones I cared for during the pandemic) would come and visit for extended periods of time to look after us. I have really vivid memories of very random things, although food wasn’t really one of them (other than my Grandma getting extraordinarily excited for Indian takeaways). When I arrived in Portugal this week, I went straight to her pantry and saw this. Weetabix, stored by the box; something she started eating in the UK when she was there and loved it so much that she continued it over in Portugal. It made me giggle the way she had it all organised so I thought I’d snap a photo! The time I’m out here in Portugal won’t see me cooking a lot of food for them like before, as they now have someone else to do that, so I’ve gone from being the resident chef to resident baker. Wish me luck!
What food reminds you of your grandparents the most?
