Miso Aubergine and Tofu Traybake

I seem to be doing a lot of traybakes recently. Mostly, it’s just a way to use up what’s in the fridge but it’s amazing what exciting dishes you can make, just by throwing a few things on a tray. Opening the fridge, I saw we had some leftover tofu, a pot of miso paste and an aubergine (also half a roasted sweet potato, half a bag of spinach and some leftover celeriac mash). In the cupboard, there was a tin of butter beans…

Scouring for a few more ingredients, I found I had enough to make a flavoursome miso inspired paste, so in went lots of garlic and ginger, then I smothered it on the aubergine, tofu and beans, and baked for 30 minutes. The result was pretty delicious – the beans go slightly crispy and dry out, maybe not to everyone’s liking but in my house, we love to nibble on them!

I would probably serve this with sticky jasmine rice, noodles or couscous (not that my half a sweet potato and celeriac mash didn’t go really well… well, the sweet potato was nice).

Serves 2 (3 if you add in some good sides, like rice)

Ingredients:

1 aubergine
200g tofu (I use Tofoo)
1/2 can butter beans
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 lime
Tbsp freshly chopped coriander

Miso paste: (this is similar to my Miso Aubergine recipe, if you’ve made it)

3cm piece of ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tbsp dark miso paste
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp water
2 tsp sesame oil

Method:

1. Start by preheating your oven to 180 degrees, then prepare the rest of the ingredients
2. Slice your tofu into roughly 2cm strips and then place between two sheets of kitchen roll/towel and leave under a heavy weight for 10 minutes, to allow the moisture to seep out – I use a tin of beans or even my food processor occasionally
3. Slice your aubergine into quarters – to achieve the same shape as me in the photo, slice the top off of the aubergine, then slice down the middle. Now slice each half into quarters, then run your knife across each one, going in about 2/3 the way, to achieve the spikey pattern
4. Cover your tray in grease proof paper, then add your aubergines, flesh side down and bake in the oven for 15 minutes
5. While baking, make your miso paste by combining all the ingredients together
6. Once your tofu has been pressed for 10 minutes, slice into strips
7. After 15 minutes of baking, take the aubergine out of the oven and turn so it’s flesh side up. Add the tofu and 1/2 a can of butter beans, then cover all the ingredients in the sauce, making sure to brush both sides of the tofu
8. Return the tray to the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes – if you’re making rice/noodles, do it now
9. After 20 minutes the glaze should have turned dark and the aubergine should be soft, yet slightly crispy on the outside. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds then return to the oven for a further 5 minutes
10. Remove from oven, scatter with the chopped coriander and serve with a fresh wedge of lime – if you’ve got some in the fridge, a drizzle of tahini is nice too!