Mango and corn slaw with peanut tofu – jump to recipe.
I’m often asked by friends what recipes I use for work lunch meals, and I have to admit I rarely prep food purely for lunch – it’s usually a dinner with excess leftovers. This is a prime example of that over summer. It may seem like a lot of chopping, but with a mandoline you can slice everything incredibly finely in 15 minutes tops (a kitchen must – we have this one which is great and absolutely not sponsored). The herbs are also key. Use as much as you like of coriander, Thai basil and either (or both!) regular mint or Vietnamese mint, depending on what’s available. The mango and corn slaw keeps well for around 3 days in the fridge, and the peanut tofu makes enough for 4-5 total serves. You can take it to work with extra avocado and Japanese mayo to make it fancy, and rice depending on hunger levels.
A few more ideas for summery leftover dinner-to-work lunches:
- Make a Greek salad with chopped cos, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, feta, black olives and add tuna and/or chickpeas. Lots of cracked black pepper and salt. Dress with lemon juice and olive oil.
- This pea, spinach and lemon risoni salad – add smoked salmon, use whatever green vegetables you have.
- Ottolenghi’s corn, pumpkin and feta salad with hummus
- Meera Sodha’s eggplant, green bean and thai basil stir fry
- Zucchini soba noodles with peanut tofu
- Zucchini ginger udon noodles
- Spring lemon, white bean, green beans and avocado salad
And when there are no leftovers? I keep a stash of good toast in the freezer to pull out to make avocado toast at work (try adding feta or smoked salmon to be extra luxe). A lunch worth looking forward to is important, in my opinion.
- Sushi rice to serve.
- ½ green cabbage
- 1 mango – ideally not too ripe
- 1 carrot
- 2 lebanese cucumbers
- 1-2 cobs sweetcorn
- ½ bunch spring onion finely sliced
- 1 cup finely chopped coriander
- ½ cup each torn mint (and/or Vietnamese mint if you have it)
- ½ cup thai basil leaves, torn (or regular basil)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds toasted
- crispy fried shallots, to serve
- 1 avocado, to serve
- 2 tablespoons Japanese mayo
- 2 tablespoons roasted sesame dressing (I use Kewpie brand)
- Juice of 1 lemon or lime
- 1 red chilli finely chopped or you can use a teaspoon or two of sriracha sauce to taste
- 300 g firm tofu cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ⅓ cup chunky peanut butter
- Juice of 1 lime
- Water to loosen
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Cook your rice however your normally do – stovetop or rice cooker.
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To prep the tofu: in a flat base container or bowl, combine the cubed tofu, soy sauce and sriracha. Toss gently to coat and set aside while you make the slaw.
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Heat a large pan over high heat with a tablespoon of oil. Add the tofu, reserving any extra soy/sriracha, and cook, turning intermittently, until brown on most sides.
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In a small bowl combine the peanut butter, lime and any extra reserved soy/sriracha. While stirring, add warm water a little at a time, until cohesive and pourable- it might get thicker before it thins out.
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When the tofu is cooked, turn the heat off and pour the peanut sauce over. Use a rubber spatula to flip the tofu to coat.
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For the sweetcorn: either boil the cobs for 3-4 minutes in a pot or cook with a bit of oil and salt on a grill or barbecue, then slice off the kernels. Add to a large bowl.
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Use a mandoline or sharp knife to very thinly slice the cabbage, carrot and cucumber. Add to the bowl.
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Peel and thinly slice the mango and add.
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Add the finely chopped spring onion, herbs and toasted sesame seeds.
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For the dressing: combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the slaw and use your hands to toss everything together well.
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Serve the slaw with rice, tofu and any extras like fried shallots, avocado or extra mayo and chilli.
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