Tofu and Vegetables in Peanut Sauce over Soba

Tofu and Vegetables in Peanut Sauce over Soba

Serves 4

Takes about 25 - 30 minutes

This is a great, fancy weekday night dinner because it is very fast to prepare but very satisfying and beautiful.  You want to go for high heat, fast cooking of the vegetables so that they don’t lose their crispness.  Soba noodles cook in a matter of minutes so you won’t be waiting around for them.  Thai food is usually spicy but I’m not a fan of super spicy so the most I put in is a small amount of ground cayenne.  You can add hot peppers if you want more spice.  Feel free to serve over rice instead of soba noodles, if you prefer.

Ingredients:

Sauce:

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

3 tbsp soy sauce

2/3 cup water

1 tsp curry powder

¼ tsp ground cayenne

Stir-fry:

1 ½ tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 (16 oz) water-packed, extra-firm tofu, cubed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 small head broccoli, cut into florets

¼ cup water

3 bundles (9 oz total) soba noodles, cooked according to the package

1/3 cup of roasted peanuts for garnish

1. In a bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients and stir well until smooth.

2. Add 1 tbsp sesame oil and the 1 tbsp of soy sauce to a wok or frying pan.  When the mixture is hot, add the tofu cubes.  Use a spatula to lightly fry each side of the tofu.  Total cooking time will probably be around 5 minutes until tofu is lightly browned.  Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Add the other ½ tbsp of sesame oil to the pan and heat.  Add the onion and sauté for about 2 minutes.  Add the carrots, ginger, and garlic and sauté for about another 2 minutes.  Add the broccoli and water.  Allow the water to come to a boil and then cook very briefly, probably about another 2 minutes until vegetables are just cooked but still crisp.

4. Add the tofu and the sauce and stir.  Heat briefly, only a minute or to, until everything is warmed through.  Serve hot over soba noodles with peanut sprinkled on top.

French Onion Soup w/ Croutons

 I honestly don't really like onions but I had to use a whole lot that we had sitting around the kitchen.  The broth on this soup is just delicious.  I don't think I really cooked the onions quite long enough so I changed the directions from what I did to reflect that.  Nutritional yeasts adds a cheesy taste to the croutons.

French Onion Soup w/ Croutons

Serves 4

Takes about 45 minutes

Traditional French onion soup with the twist of Asian fusion: a little miso really enhances the flavor of the broth and makes the soup more rich.  If you are using an already very flavorful broth, you can probably ditch the miso but I just used boullion powder and the miso sealed the deal.  There may be more croutons than needed from a whole loaf of French bread but they are great on salad or in other soups.

Ingredients:

Croutons:

1 loaf French bread, diced into cubes

2 ½ tbsp olive oil

2 tsp nutritional yeast

2 tsp garlic powder

Soup:

1 ½ lbs sliced onions

2 tbsp margarine

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup white wine

3 cups vegetable broth

1 tsp garlic powder

1 ½ tsp thyme

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp sage

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp miso

1. To make the croutons, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Toss the bread cubes with the olive oil, yeast, and garlic powder until evenly coated.  Spread them on a baking pan and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crusty.  Remove from the oven and set aside.

2. To make the soup, heat the margarine and oil in a pot over medium high heat.  Add the onions and sauté until onions begin to caramelize (10 – 15 minutes).  Add wine and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add the vegetable broth, bring to a boil again and then simmer for 12 – 15 minutes or until onions are completely caramelized.  While the soup is simmering, add the rest of the ingredients except the miso.

4. When the soup is done cooking, turn off the heat.  Scoop out about ½ cup of the broth and place it into a different bowl.  Dissolve the miso into this broth, stirring until there are no lumps and then transfer the mixture back to the soup.  Stir to homogenize.

5. Serve the soup hot with croutons in it.