Stir Fry with Tofu and Vegetables

Last night the family made a new dish together. It was a lot of fun and David and I really enjoyed the meal, even though the boys sort of picked out their favorite parts and left the rest - so they had snacks later. I would definitely make this again for an adult audience - especially a vegetarian crew.

I was looking for a good recipe with tofu since we all like it. The boys eat tofu in miso soup and stir fries better than they do chicken nuggets or beef on most occasions. They especially liked the rice noodles and carrots. I found this recipe in Real Simple magazine and have modified it slightly. That's a great magazine - they have wonderful articles, recipes, and tips.

Tofu is made from soy milk. I always use the extra firm kind found in grocery stores - usually near the produce. Very mild and delicious. And apparently very healthy - maybe even more so than chicken nuggets :)

Stir-fried Noodles with Tofu and Vegetables
1 6 oz. package rice noodles
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
Juice of 2 limes
14 oz package firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch thick cubes
1 Tbsp oil
2 carrots, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger (we omitted)
2 cups bean sprouts (we omitted)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro (we omitted)

Boil the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and return to the pot.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, soy sauce (we used the low-sodium variety), and lime juice. Gently press the tofu between layers of paper towels to remove excess liquid, then cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, bell pepper, and ginger and cook stirring for 2 minutes. Add the tofu and bean sprouts. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are slightly tender - 4-5 minutes.

Toss the drained noodles with half the soy sauce mixture and cook over medium-high heat until heated through - about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and top with the vegetables, the remaining soy sauce mixture, the scallions, peanuts, and cilantro.

Changes - I added about 1/4 cup of soy sauce to the vegetables when they were stir-frying to add more flavor. We would add more peanuts, scallions, and carrots next time.

Try it - it's delicious!