Asian sauce, throw some chilli and pickles at it, and you're done. Frozen soybeans are available in Japanese stores, or substitute with broad beans. Cut cucumber in half lengthwise, scoop out and discard seeds then cut in one-centimetre slices. Mix sugar, salt and rice vinegar in a bowl, add cucumber and leave for 20 minutes, then drain. Steam tofu over simmering water until hot. Cook soybeans in simmering salted water for three minutes, drain and toss with olive oil. For sauce, heat stock in a small pan and add oyster, hoisin and soy sauces and simmer for two minutes. Mix cornflour and rice wine to a paste, add to sauce and bring to the boil, stirring, until sauce thickens. Drain tofu and carefully transfer to a warm serving plate. Spoon over sauce, top with pickled cucumber and scatter with soy beans, spring onions and chilli. Serves 4 as side dish Mushroom and tofu with beanthread noodles Mushrooms, fresh and dried, and eggplant are perfect partners with tofu for a meat-free meal with gentle flavours that's still satisfying. Soak dried mushrooms and black fungus in hot water for at least 30 minutes, then drain, discard stalks and finely slice. Cook broccolini in simmering salted water for three minutes and drain. Heat stock, soy, hoisin sauce and sesame oil with ginger, chilli, garlic, dried mushrooms, black fungus, fresh mushrooms and eggplant, and simmer for 10 minutes or until eggplant is tender. Cook noodles in simmering salted water for one minute or until