Macca's meat free Monday - a chicken free chicken salad

I do like my steak - just turned in the pan so that when you slide the knife through it, it is likely to moo at you! And this is from someone who was a strict veggie for many years and even a spent some time being vegan.

There is no question of me going all out veggie again but while I love my meat it's not something I eat every day or even every month. It's for those moments when nothing else will satisfy but a bacon and avocado buttie or a nice piece of rare steak with chunky chips on the side.

While I can understand the farmer's being upset with Paul McCartney's campaign for one meat free day per week, from a green perspective I really think this makes sense. And aside from the environmental aspect, you are giving your body a break, as vegetables are easier on the digestive system.

This is my contribution to Macca's campaign - a chicken free chicken salad that is quick to make and is fully of heathy detoxifying ingredients. To make it easier to digest some of the vegtables are steamed and the tomatoes and cucumber are both peeled and deseeded.

This recipe serves 2

Ingredients

Salad:
125g plain tofu
3 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tomatoes
1/2 red pepper
6 red radishes
1 large carrot
1 small avocado
1/4 cucumber
handful of cashew nuts to garnish
hand full of mixed sprouted seeds to garnish

dressing:



But tofu in bowl and add the tamari sauce, then add water until the tofu is covered by the liquid.

Leave for at least 20 mins (sometimes I do this the night before and keep in fridge until I need it)

Pre-heat oven to 180°c. Using a pastry brush, brush some sesame oil on both sides of the tofu and place on a piece of baking paper in an oven dish, place in oven for approx 20 mins (or until brown) and turn half way through. Once done removed from oven and leave to cool.

Wash carrot & pepper and cut into matchsticks, then steam either in an electric steamer or a bamboo basket over a saucepan of water for for 10 mins. Once cooked add quickly to some iced water and allow to cool.

While the carrots and pepper are steaming, peel the cucumber then half and quarter it and de-seed, chop into small cubes.

Wash and top and tail radishes and slice finely.

Place tomatoes in a bowl of boiling water for two minutes , the remove from water and remove skin. De-seed the tomatoes and chop.

Chop avocado into bite size pieces

Put all ingredients except for the tofu in a salad bowl and mix well. Shred the tofu into irregular pieces and scatter over top of salad , and garnish with cashew nuts and sprouted seeds.

You can you favorite salad dressing, I used the same sweet chili dipping sauce that I norally serve with my fish cakes as a salad dressing. This goes particularly well with this salad.