Recipe – Warm Salad of Harissa Aubergines, teriyaki Beef and Irish Runner Beans with Shirataki Noodles

Recipe - Warm Salad of Harissa Aubergines

So often my dinners are just a mish mash of what’s in the fridge.  The major joy of this in July is that produce is literally heaving from the hedgerows (and produce aisles in your local neighbourhood Hopsacks 😜) so salad dinners can be quick and easy, and concocted without too much forethought.  But without some special accent in there, life starts to feel awfully worthy and “eat to live” as opposed to the other way around where everything you look at is dripping with flavour.  We need this feast for the senses more than ever, for our souls, but also for our stomach acid!  Fail to include tasty as key tenet of dinnertime preparation and your body starts to lose the will to make your food intake into precious energy. However, this month’s recipe is NOT a preciously prepared supper.  Literally the only thing you’ll spend time on is the aubergines.  And even they only need 20 minutes in the oven.  But they add the unctuousness that makes this dinner truly soulful and satisfying.

 (serves 2) For this you will need –

Okay you ready? Start your clocks this will be over in a second…

First preheat your oven to 200 Degrees.  Dowse the steak/tofu in the teriyaki sauce and set aside. Slice the aubergine in ¼ inch strips lengthways, add to a bowl with the harissa and pomegranate molasses and dredge until covered. Stick into the oven for about 15 minutes, checking and turning a couple of times throughout.

While you’re waiting for the aubergine, just shred the salad leaves by hand, slice the runner beans in 1 inch strips and heat a pan for the steak/tofu.  You want it really hot to do a good job of searing and heating through without drying your meat out.  Striploin is a cheaper cut, but has fantastic marbling and great flavour if you’re willing to deal with the odd bit of gristle.  Add the coconut oil to the pan and then the steak/tofu.  Cover it unless you actively love clearing up oil spatters.  Turn after 2 minutes if you like things medium rare and switch off quickly after another 2 minutes.

Remove aubergines from oven and add pumpkin seeds to a tray, toss with soya sauce and put in oven for about 3-4 minutes being REALLY careful to make sure they pop but don’t burn.

Assemble everything on a plate, just like the photo, and hey presto you’re done