Sweet and sour tofu

For the tofu

1 block of firm or extra firm tofu, pressed
2 tbsp arrowroot
1⁄2 tsp chilli powder (optional)
For the sweet and sour sauce
50ml soy sauce
25ml rice wine vinegar
50ml pineapple juice
1 tbsp apricot jam
2 tsp maple or date syrup
1⁄2 tsp Chinese 5 spice
1⁄2 tsp garlic powder
1⁄2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cornflour

For the stir-fry

2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
1 red pepper, cut into chunks
100g mange tout or asparagus tips or sprouting broccoli spears – blanch them first, or slice them lengthways
100g baby corn
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
15g piece ginger, finely chopped (or a frozen cube)

To serve

First bake the tofu. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Cut the tofu into chunks and pat dry. Mix the arrowroot with the chilli powder, if using, and a little salt and toss in the tofu chunks, making sure they are evenly coated. Arrange on a baking tray, making sure they are not touching, then bake for 15–20 minutes until crisp and brown.
Whisk together all the sweet and sour sauce ingredients except the cornflour and set aside.
Heat a wok and add the oil, if using. When the air above is shimmering, add the vegetables, garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes. If not using the oil, use 1 tbsp water instead, adding a little more after a couple of minutes if necessary.
Pour in the sauce and simmer for 2–3 minutes until it looks syrupy, then mix the cornflour with a little water and add to the wok, stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened slightly and is glossy. Add the tofu and simmer for a further minute, then serve sprinkled with the spring onions, coriander and sesame oil or seeds, if using.

Extracted from The Plant Power Doctor by Dr Gemma Newman (Ebury Press, £16.99). Photography by Dave Brown.