Tofu!!

I can't believe there was once a time in my life that I wouldn't touch tofu with a 10ft pole. I think it was the texture that turned me off. Too slimy and mushy and bland.

I dont remember when I started to actually enjoy tofu. I think it was (gasp!!) when I moved to Canada and bought Pete's 2 go Thai tofu. I loved that stuff. I added it to stir-fry's and salads and even ate it plain.

Sadly, my neighborhood store stopped carrying Pete's. I think I was probably the only person in this town that actually bought it.

On our last trip to Toronto, we went to Chinatown and I brought back all kinds of sauces and asian ingredients that are hard to find here. So, last night while I was watching Restaurant Makeover, Chef Lynn Crawford made a wonderful looking Soba noodle and marinated tofu salad. I went to the grocery store this morning, found all the veggies and some medium firm tofu and went to town. I added some peanuts for crunch. The recipe calls for Tamari, I didnt have it, so I subbed light soy. The soy even though it was light, made the dressing a tad too salty. I think on my next trip into London or Toronto, I'll look for some Tamari.

I cut the peppers too thick too, next time I'll use the food processor.

Chili-marinated tofu and soba noodle salad

Chili And Tamari Marinated Tofu And Soba Noodle Salad Yield: 0 Ingredients: Chili And Tamari Marinated Tofu And Soba Noodle Salad
1 pkg Soba noodles (8 oz.)
3 tbsp Vegetable oil
1/2 lb. Firm Tofu, rinsed and dried, cut into ½ inch pieces
2 piece Carrots, cut into 1 ½ x ¼ inch sticks
1/2 cup Snow peas, julienned
1 cup Bean sprouts
1 piece Red pepper, julienned
1 piece Yellow pepper, julienned
1 cup Pea greens
4 pieces Scallions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp Fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 tsp Sesame oil
4 tbsp Tamari
4 tbsp Rice vinegar
1 tbsp Sambal (garlic chili sauce)
1/2 cup Cilantro leaves, picked and roughly chopped
2 tbsp Sesame seeds, toasted
2 tbsp Pickled gingerDirections:
Chili And Tamari Marinated Tofu And Soba Noodle Salad
To make dressing, whisk the ginger, sesame oil, 3 tablespoons vegetable, tamari, rice vinegar and sambal together in a small stainless steel bowl. Marinate the tofu with 2 tablespoons of the tamari dressing and 2 tablespoons of cilantro for 30 minutes.
In a large non-stick skillet heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable over moderately high heat and brown tofu on each side. Transfer the tofu with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Reserve.
Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Rinse under cold water and drain again. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl. Add the carrots, snow peas, bean sprout, peppers and toss with tamari dressing, just enough to coat the salad. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve place the soba noodle salad on a plate, top with tofu and garnish with pea greens and pickled ginger.