Asian Noodle Salad with Tofu Bites

I got this recipe from the Disney Family Fun website.  Click here for a link to their page. 

I thought it was great.  It tasted like stuff from a real Chinese or Thai place..only a little better!  Chris did NOT like it.  AJ ate quite a bit of the noodles, and Mia picked away at it, and even had some bites of the tofu.  I think it's a keeper because:

#1 - I like it...Chris will just have to deal with it. 

#2 - It's healthy and pretty cheap

The one change I made to the recipe was to leave out the sesame seeds.  I'm sure the sesame seeds would have given it a great texture and taste, but sesame seeds were soooo expensive.  I really couldn't see myself spending $7 just on the sesame seeds.  But I did pan fry the tofu in the sesame oil, which gave it a nice flavor and crispiness.  Also, I didn't have any rice wine vinegar, so I substituted one part rice wine with one part white vinegar.  I think my favorite part of the dish was the soy sauce/honey/rice wine that you pour over the tofu at the end of cooking.  It makes this really yummy glaze on the tofu, but the tofu still remained crisp on the outside...yum. 

Ingredients

• FOR THE SALAD
• 1 (14-ounce) block extra-firm tofu, drained
• 12 ounces linguini noodles
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin, 2-inch sticks
• 1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and strings removed
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons lite soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

• 1/4 cup sesame seeds (optional)
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon canola oil
• FOR THE DRESSING
• 1/4 cup lite soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon honey, 2 teaspoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Slice the tofu widthwise into quarters. Slice each quarter into four rectangles, then slice each rectangle diagonally into two triangles. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels and arrange the tofu on top in a single layer. Cover the tofu with another double layer of paper towels and place a baking sheet on top faceup, along with a weight, such as a heavy pot. Let the tofu drain for at least 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dressing and set it aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then cook the noodles according to the package directions. Rinse the noodles with cold water, drain them, and toss them with the dressing. Add the carrots, snap peas, scallions, and cilantro, and toss once more.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, and rice vinegar and set the mixture aside. Place the sesame seeds on a small plate. Firmly press both sides of each tofu piece into the seeds. Heat the sesame and canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu, frying each side until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Drizzle the soy mixture onto the tofu and continue cooking 1 minute more. To serve, fill each bowl with the noodle mixture, then top it with a few pieces of tofu.

Approximate cost:  $10.35

Cost per serving: $2.59

Nutritional Information:

Per serving (1/6 of recipe) Calories 378, Total Fat 15 g (24%), Saturated Fat 2 g (12%), Cholesterol 33 mg (12%), Sodium 1,107 mg (46%), Total Carbohydrate 41 g (14%), Fiber 7 g (29%), Sugars 7 g, Protein 19 g (39%), Vitamin A (115%), Iron (27%)