There’s a strange idea that if you want to eat something really good in the middle of the week, you’ve got to spend hours in the kitchen. I’ve never subscribed to that.
By the time Wednesday or Thursday rolls around, most of us don’t want a mountain of washing up, twelve different pans on the go and a recipe that reads like a novel. We want something quick, comforting and packed with flavour.
That’s exactly where dishes like my Sticky Teriyaki Salmon & Crispy Tofu Rice Bowl come in.
Jo more than me.
You’ve got beautifully crisp salmon, golden tofu, sticky teriyaki sauce, sweet carrot ribbons and seasoned sushi rice. It looks like you’ve made a real effort, but none of it needs to be complicated.
And that’s the trick with good midweek cooking.
It’s not about cutting corners; it’s about making every step count. Get a good bit of colour on your salmon and tofu. Make a simple sauce that delivers plenty of flavour. Cook one vegetable well. Serve the whole lot over rice and suddenly you’ve got a proper bowl of food that feels a little bit special.
I also love this style of cooking because you can make it your own. Swap the salmon for chicken, prawns or mushrooms. Leave out the tofu or double it. Change the vegetables depending on what’s lurking in the fridge.
Good food doesn’t have to mean hard work.
Sometimes all you need is a hot wok, a handful of ingredients and twenty or thirty minutes in the kitchen. That’s more than enough time to put something on the table that everyone actually looks forward to eating.
And for me, that’s exactly what midweek cooking should be.
Teriyaki Salmon, Crispy Tofu & Sticky Carrot Rice Bowl
Ingredients
Crispy Teriyaki Salmon and Tofu
- 2 salmon fillets about 250–300g total,
- 1/2 Block Firm Tofu Cut into bitesize pieces
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp neutral oil for frying
Sushi Rice
- 500 g Sushi Rice
Sushi Rice Seasoning
- 1/3 cup Rice Vinegar
- 4 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
Sweet Sticky Ribboned Carrot
- 2 Carrots thinly sliced into ribbons
- 1 tsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Rice Vinegar
- 1 tsp Honey
Instructions
Teriyaki Salmon & Tofu
- Pat the salmon and tofu dry with kitchen paper. Cut the tofu into chunky pieces.
- Heat a little oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium-high heat. Add the salmon skin-side down and cook for 3–4 minutes, until the skin is golden and crisp. Add the tofu and fry alongside the salmon, turning until golden and crisp on all sides.
- Turn the salmon over and cook for another 1–2 minutes.
- Give the teriyaki sauce a good mix, then pour it into the pan. Allow the sauce to bubble and reduce, gently turning the tofu and spooning the sauce over the salmon as it cooks.
- Continue cooking for 2–3 minutes, until the salmon is cooked to your liking and the teriyaki sauce has reduced to a thick, sticky, glossy glaze coating both the salmon and tofu.
Sushi Rice
- Place the sushi rice into a bowl and rinse several times under cold running water until the water runs almost clear. Drain well, then transfer the rice to your rice cooker.
- Add enough cold water to sit approximately 1 inch (2.5cm) above the level of the rice. Switch on the rice cooker and cook according to its normal setting.
- Meanwhile, add the rice vinegar, sugar and salt to a small saucepan. Warm gently, stirring until the sugar and salt have completely dissolved. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Once the rice is cooked, pour over the vinegar seasoning while the rice is still hot. Gently mix through until evenly seasoned, taking care not to mash the grains.
- Sweet Sticky Ribboned Carrot
- Heat a little oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Add the carrot ribbons and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes, until they begin to soften but still have a little bite.
- Give the sauce a good mix, then pour it into the wok. Toss the carrots through the sauce and continue to stir-fry for another 1–2 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and the carrots are coated in a sweet, sticky, glossy glaze.
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
For more recipe checkout my Chinese Made Easy Cook Book
