Peanut Noodles

This dish is similar to the well-loved Pad Thai, but it has more peanut flavor and less spice. You can use any noodles you prefer—we made it with rice noodles and stir-fried some vegetables before mixing everything together. Feel free to swap the vegetables for whatever you have on hand or substitute the tofu with chicken or another protein if you prefer.  




Ingredients:

5 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 pound firm or extra-firm tofu, rinsed, patted dry, and cut into ½-inch cubes
⅓ cup natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 garlic clove, minced
½-1 teaspoon chili paste
1 pound fettuccine, wide rice noodles, or other pasta
1 red, orange or yellow pepper, sliced
1 medium head of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
2 scallions, thinly sliced (both green and white parts)

Instructions:

Make the tofu:  Preheat broiler on high.  Stir together 2 tablespoons of the tamari and ginger in a medium bowl.  Add the cubed tofu and stir gently to coat.  Mist a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.  Spread the tofu on the baking sheet in a single layer.  Place under a broiler for 5 minutes.  Flip the tofu and broil for 5 minutes or until light brown and crispy.  Then set this aside.

Make the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons tamari with the peanut butter, maple syrup, rice vinegar, water, sesame seeds, garlic, and chili paste and set aside.

Make the noodles according to the package.

Stir fry the veggies while the noodles are cooking:  Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large frying pan.  Place your cut veggies in the pan and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until they begin to soften.  If using broccoli, add 2 tablespoons of water and cover to let steam at the end for 2-3 minutes.

Toss the veggies, tofu and sauce all together in the wok, frying pan, or in a large bowl.  Top with scallions and enjoy!

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