For me a “go to” dinner is something I know how to make off the top of my head, cook once a week, makes good leftovers and is something I can make for company.

I always make sure I have the ingredients for this type of meal. It doesn’t take forever to make. It doesn’t involve super expensive ingredients. It’s healthy and, it’s delicious. It’s comforting.

This is one of my go-to dinners that I make every week. It looks complicated, but it comes together quickly.

Start out by getting the tofu into the oven and cooking the noodles. The secret to the baked tofu is the liquid smoke—it gives the tofu a savory, smoky flavor.Then prep your veggies and blend the peanut sauce. Soon everything is ready to be stir fried together.

Gather:

1 package of soba noodles, cooked and rinsed

3 cups of chopped vegetables of your choice (I used red onion, broccoli, spinach & bell pepper)

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

 

For the baked tofu:

1 block organic firm tofu

2 tablespoons tamari sauce

1 tsp liquid smoke

1 tsp garlic powder

 

For the peanut sauce:

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 tablespoon tamari sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1-2 tsp Sriracha or hot sauce (optional)

1 clove garlic

1” piece of fresh ginger

1/2 water (approximately, depends on how thick you want your sauce)

 

Make:

First, start by pressing the tofu.

Take the tofu out of the package and put it in a shallow bowl. Put a plate on top of the tofu, and then stack a few heavy books on top of the plate. Leave for about half and hour, then discard the liquid that’s been pressed out. This step is optional, but your baked tofu will turn out way better this way.

Turn on the oven to 425 degrees, and prep a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the tamari, liquid smoke and garlic powder. Slice the tofu block in half, then slice each half into 1/2” pieces. Dip each piece of tofu in the sauce (both sides) and place on the baking sheet.

Bake for about 30 minutes, flipping the tofu pieces halfway through.

To make the sauce, blend all of the ingredients in a blender.

Heat a large shallow pan at medium high heat. Toss in the veggies, and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add a bit of water if your veggies are sticking. You want them cooked, but still a bit crisp. Toss in the noodles and stir until noodles are heated.

Sprinkle on the sesame seeds.

To serve, put your noodle veggie stir fry in a bowl with tofu slices on the side. Cover with the peanut sauce. Yum!

 

 

Author: Cori Bernardo

Image: Courtesy of Author

Editor: Emily Bartran