Seasoned Tofu in Smoked Courgette Wraps

Seasoned Tofu in Smoked Courgette Wraps

• Ingredients
  • 1 courgette, sliced longways into thin slices
  • small chunks of firm tofu (same number as there are courgette slices), drained, cut into chunks about the same height as that of courgette slices
  • a mix of middle eastern spices (I used ras al hanout plus a little extra cumin
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 2 tbsp pomeganate molasses
  • a handful of walnuts
  • sugar (to taste)
  • liquid smoke
  • olive oil
  • ground arrowroot (thickener)

• Directions/Method
  1. Preheat your oven to around 200° C (400° F).
  2. Make sure the tofu has been drained and at least some of the water pressed out. You can do this by wrapping the tofu in kitchen towel or in a tea towel, then placing a heavy-ish book or two on top. Cut the tofu into chunks and roll in spices until covered completely. On a skillet with plenty of oil, lightly fry the chunks on all sides until just crispy.
  3. Lightly fry thin courgette slices in a little bit of oil until just soft and flexible, to the point where you can wrap them around the tofu without the courgette breaking. Allow to cool slightly so you don't burn your fingers when making the wraps! Once cooled, sprinkle slices with a little bit of liquid smoke.
  4. Take a cube of tofu and wrap a slice of courgette around completely. Secure with a cocktail stick (toothpick) and put on a greased baking tray. Do the same with remaining tofu and courgette slices and bake for about 10 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, place walnuts, pomegranate molasses, sugar, and 1 tbsp lemon juice in a small saucepan over low heat.
  6. In another saucepan, mix the rest of the lemon juice with a desired amount of sugar (I like this sauce to be quite tart, so I go easy on the sugar). Bring to a high heat and, if you want a thicker consistency, add a touch of ground arrowroot powder (tip: mix a little bit of the powder with some cold water in another container, and then add to the lemon sauce).
  7. To serve: Remove courgette wraps from the oven and carefully take cocktail sticks out. Arrange on a plate with a walnut on top of each parcel. Dot lemon sauce around the wraps for dipping.