Sunday, June 28, 2009

Sunday

Soba noodle and tofu stir-fry (recipe in the comments)
Asian greens

Hot tea
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I've been looking for a way to make soba noodles, as M loves them and I haven't eaten them often. They're made from buckwheat and good for those of us trying to add more whole grains. The thing is I just haven't found many recipes that sound very interesting. SO, when I found one that sort of tickled my fancy I hopped on it. Now the inspiration for this recipe had chicken, fewer veggies, a slightly different sauce, and a radically different cooking technique, but still it got soba on our table. Everyone love the results, so I'm sure they will be back.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Zucchini, garlic, ginger
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: I'd do this last minute.

Reaction
J: "Perfect soba!"
M: "Unexpectedly different and excellent Asian!"

2 comments:

J said...

Soba Noodle and Tofu Stir-Fry – M & J
Serves 4

12-oz soba (buckwheat noodles), , fettucini or linguini style
1 T + 2 t canola oil
1 carton extra firm tofu, drained and patted dry
½ cup vegetable or chicken broth
3 T low-sodium soy sauce
2 T oyster sauce
2 T rice wine vinegar (seasoned is ok)
1 t red chili paste
1 cup pre-grated carrot or 2 large carrots, cut into thin strips
1 medium zucchini, cut into thin strips
5 cloves garlic, minced
1” fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the soba until tender. Drain, rinse with hot water and set aside.

Slice tofu into eight ½” slabs (cut crosswise). Crumble each slab into uneven crumbles. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Place tofu in hot oil in a single layer. Cook, without stirring, until browned on the bottom (about 5 minutes). Turn and brown opposite side, then gently toss until all sides are browned (5-7 additional minutes). Remove from pan.

While tofu is cooking, combine broth, soy, oyster sauce, vinegar, and chili paste in a small bowl. Use additional time to run ginger and garlic through the mini chop, cut the zucchini, and toast the sesame seeds.

Once all ingredients are ready (or the soba is at least close), heat 1 T canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly. Add garlic and ginger, cooking for 30 seconds to until fragrant. Return tofu to the pan and toss for 1 minute. Add broth mixture and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Quickly re-rinse the soba in hot water, drain, and add to pan. Cook until thoroughly heated, tossing well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Sarah said...

gonna have to remember this one for when our two enormous and one slightly smaller zucchini plants start producing more than we can possibly consume. ;^)

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