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    Home » Salads

    Doctor Who food: Adipose tofu with pasta salad

    Updated: Jan 7, 2025 · Published: Nov 20, 2013 by Cadry Nelson · This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 28 Comments

    Jump to recipe
    Adipose shaped tofu from Doctor Who on top of bowtie pasta salad.

    It’s time for some Doctor Who food! If you’ve been feeling like your mealtime isn’t nearly geeky enough, I’ve got the solution for you. Adipose tofu with bowtie pasta salad. (Bowties are cool!)

    Adipose shaped tofu on top of bowtie pasta salad.

    This Doctor Who themed meal is sure to delight the Whovians in your life.

    What is adipose?

    To non Doctor Who fans, adipose tissue is what is found beneath the skin and around internal organs.

    But Doctor Who enthusiasts know it to be an alien creature from David Tennant’s time on the show.

    I don’t want to give any spoilers away, but let’s just say they had a symbiotic relationship with human dieters.

    Doctor Who food

    For this Doctor Who themed meal, I’ve cut tofu into the shape of Adipose and baked them in a lemon marinade. Then I added capers for eyes and sliced kalamata olives for mouths.

    These lemony tofu figures are almost too cute to eat.

    I served them on top of bowtie pasta salad, which is another Doctor Who reference – this time to the eleventh doctor, Matt Smith, who had a particular fondness for bowties.

    The pasta salad is dotted with roasted chickpeas and Castelvetrano olives. If you wanted to pretend that the sliced cherry tomatoes in the salad are little fezzes, I wouldn’t hold it against you.

    Oh, and artichoke hearts, of course. The Doctor insists on at least two of them. 😉

    Kale chips in Dalek bowl with Doctor Who handmade mugs in background.

    And on the side, air fryer kale chips served in a Dalek soufflé dish.

    Fans of the show may remember when Clara Oswald, who was at one time trapped inside of a Dalek, later went on to save a species by offering up a very special leaf, dubbed the most important leaf in human history.

    As far as leaves go, it doesn’t get much more special than kale, am I right?

    This meal of Doctor Who food would be perfect for a lunch, dinner, birthday party or picnic for fans of the show.

    More Doctor Who themed food

    For more Doctor Who themed recipes, check out the following:

    • Peanut butter & Jelly Baby sandwich
    • Bloody Mara
    • Bowties are cool pasta salad
    Adipose shaped tofu from Doctor Who on top of bowtie pasta salad.

    If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!

    📖 Recipe

    Adipose shaped tofu on top of bowtie pasta salad.

    Adipose tofu with bowtie pasta salad

    Author: Cadry Nelson
    5 from 4 votes
    Dinner doesn’t get geekier than this! Adipose tofu on top of bowtie pasta salad. If you don’t understand, clearly you need to re-watch your Doctor Who.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Mediterranean, Vegan
    Keyword: doctor who, kid friendly

    Ingredients

    • 10 ounces vacuum packed super firm tofu*
    • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 ½ teaspoons tamari
    • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
    • Few grinds of black pepper
    • 1 batch bowtie pasta salad
    • Few kalamata olives sliced and then cut each circle in half for mouths
    • 8 capers

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    • Cut the tofu into about 4 even slices. Cut those slices into Adipose shapes with two legs, arms, and rounded head.
    • Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and tamari into an 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Tilt the dish, so that the bottom is evenly coated. Put the tofu slices into the dish, making sure each side gets coated. Bake for 20 minutes.
    • Remove from oven, and flip the tofu slices. Pour lemon juice into the dish. Grind black pepper evenly over the slices. Bake the tofu for 20 more minutes.
    • Remove the tofu from oven. Move to a serving plate or on top of bowtie pasta salad.
    • Top each Adipose tofu slice with 2 capers for eyes and a kalamata slice mouth.

    Notes

    *If you don’t have access to vacuum packed tofu, use water packed tofu instead. Drain and press a 14 ounce block of tofu, and it will get you to the right size. Here’s more info on how to press tofu.
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 198mg | Potassium: 109mg | Vitamin C: 2.9mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.9mg

    All of the Doctor Who pottery in this post was made by me.

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    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, recipe creator, and photographer behind Cadry’s Kitchen, and the author of Living Vegan For Dummies, 2nd Edition. Since launching her blog in 2009, Cadry has been making plant-based cooking approachable, and reimagining classic comfort foods. Her work has been featured in NBC News, Buzzfeed, Yahoo, Parade, VegNews, and more. She regularly appears on local TV shows, demonstrating to a broad audience how easy vegan cooking can be.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 4 votes

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    1. Maggie Muggins

      November 28, 2013 at 9:50 am

      Cutest. Salad. Ever.
      I’ve actually never seen Doctor Who, I know, crazy right? I know everyone is gaga for it but I’ve never seen it come on tv. I really should just download a couple episodes, but with 50 years to catch up on, that’s one show I don’t know if I can risk becoming addicted to.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        December 17, 2013 at 11:23 am

        I started with the series reboot in 2005. I know that’s still 8 years of TV, but it’s not quite as daunting as 50 years. Plus, if you like it, that means all the more TV to love! 🙂 David has been watching since he was a child, and so because of him, I’ve seen quite a bit of the classic series now too.

        Reply
    2. Veggietorials

      November 24, 2013 at 4:25 pm

      I’m hanging my head in shame because I have never watched an episode of Dr. Who! Those Adipose tofu guys are so cute 🙂

      Reply
      • Cadry

        November 26, 2013 at 12:24 pm

        No worries, Cobi! There’s still time! (Ha! Get it? He’s a time traveler? *cue crickets*)

        Reply
    3. thepeacepatch

      November 23, 2013 at 4:30 pm

      Happy Dr. Who-iversary! I’m all a-swoon over your delicious delights and your Dalek soufflé dish…supercoolness! Cheers! 🙂

      Reply
      • Cadry

        November 26, 2013 at 12:22 pm

        Wow, that is crazy cool! Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    4. Hannah

      November 23, 2013 at 3:15 pm

      5 stars
      I can’t even handle this post right now! So amazing and cute. I’ve never watched Dr. Who (I KNOW), but I’m pretty familiar with the ins and outs of the imagery. Your Dalek dish is amazing.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        November 26, 2013 at 12:18 pm

        Thank you, Hannah! So lovely of you to say!

        Reply
    5. luminousvegans

      November 21, 2013 at 9:51 pm

      5 stars
      The tofu in this salad is seriously the cutest!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        November 26, 2013 at 12:14 pm

        Thanks, Ketty!

        Reply
    6. Hannah

      November 21, 2013 at 6:31 pm

      5 stars
      You are spectacularly the best. Amazing. Dying over the Adipose Tofu.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        November 26, 2013 at 12:14 pm

        Aw, shucks. Thanks, Hannah! xoxo

        Reply
    7. Cheerfully Vegan

      November 21, 2013 at 5:30 pm

      I have recently joined the masses who watch Dr. Who and it captivated me. When I saw your post I just laughed with delight! What an amazing job you did recreating the little adipose creatures. lol Love your pottery, too. I sent a link to several family members and friends who also enjoy Dr. Who. 🙂

      Reply
      • Cadry

        November 26, 2013 at 12:13 pm

        How sweet! Thanks! Have you watched the anniversary special yet, or are you waiting until you reach that point in the series?

        Reply
    8. Bianca- Vegan Crunk

      November 21, 2013 at 4:15 pm

      Haha. I have no idea what any of this is about! But I love your dedication to theme. 🙂 I’m such a nerd for a theme. One day, maybe I’ll finally watch Doctor Who. I keep thinking I wouldn’t like it, but I bet I’d get sucked in.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        November 26, 2013 at 12:11 pm

        You should totally check it out, Bianca! I wouldn’t consider myself a science fiction fan, but Doctor Who totally sucked me in. Do you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Sherlock? If so, you’d probably like Doctor Who.

        Reply
    9. Becky Striepe

      November 21, 2013 at 12:10 pm

      5 stars
      That bowl of adipose tofu is the first thing that I showed Dave this morning. I seriously squealed when it showed up on my phone! We don’t have cable, so we will buy the episode from Amazon or iTunes the next day and watch. I can’t waaaaaiiiittttt!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        November 26, 2013 at 12:08 pm

        That’s so awesome! Thanks, Becky! So what did you think of the episode? I’ve seen it twice now. (They showed it at a theatre closer to home last night.) I think I enjoyed it even more the second time around when I could just relax and watch without wondering who might be making cameo appearances and what surprises would be coming at us.

        Reply
    10. acookinthemaking

      November 21, 2013 at 11:28 am

      I remember watching Dr. Who with my dad (who is British) when I was a kid, but unfortunately I don’t really remember much about it at all. I love how you’ve managed to combine your love for the show with your creative talents (both food and pottery!) for this occasion though. It’s very inspiring 🙂

      Reply
      • Cadry

        November 26, 2013 at 12:06 pm

        Aw, what a sweet thing to say! Thank you!

        Reply
    11. gaiantlc

      November 20, 2013 at 10:28 pm

      You are awesome. That is all.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        November 26, 2013 at 12:05 pm

        Yay! Love this comment! 🙂

        Reply
    12. Jackie at Vegan Yack Attack

      November 20, 2013 at 9:16 pm

      I don’t watch Dr. Who, but have SO many friends that are obsessed! I love your creative interpretation of it with food!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        November 26, 2013 at 12:05 pm

        Thanks, Jackie!

        Reply
    13. Kylie @ FotV

      November 20, 2013 at 7:55 pm

      I have never watched a single episode of Dr. Who! I feel so out of the loop, but I’ve never been a fan of sci-fi in general. I have a lot of friends who are gaga for it though!

      And thank you so much for your kind words and letting me interrogate you 😀

      Reply
      • Cadry

        November 26, 2013 at 12:03 pm

        You should check out an episode or two sometime, Kylie! You might be surprised. I have never been into science fiction either. In fact, a guy broke up with me in high school because I mocked Doctor Who! Oh, irony of ironies! 🙂 The draw of the show for me is all about the relationships. It’s a serialized show, where they keep building on the story, relationships, and interactions. It’s easy to get caught up in it!

        Reply
    14. Andrea

      November 20, 2013 at 7:49 pm

      I won’t be able to watch the special because I’m only on episode 6 but I could eat the food!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        November 26, 2013 at 12:00 pm

        You’ll have a long time to plan your anniversary special menu then! 😉

        Reply

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