Roasted Tofu and Peanut Noodle Salad

I had three quarters of a head of napa cabbage left over from a batch of okonomiyaki so I decided to try this recipe I found a few years ago in Eating Well magazine.  It was quite tasty and I especially liked the roasted tofu.  I did not have enough lime juice so I added some sweet sherry to round it out and that worked quite nicely.  Rice vinegar would have also done a nice job, I think.

This would make a lovely lunch for family or friends.  It is light and refreshing and comes together fairly quickly.

If you are planning on leftovers, I would recommend that you add the pasta and the tofu to each serving and then store them separately from the cabbage and vegetables.  The first time I made it I added everything together and because the dressing is so wet the pasta had disintegrated by the next day.

Home Cookin v9.70 Chapter: Beans and Vegetables
ROASTED TOFU AND PEANUT NOODLE SALAD 1/4 cup lime juice 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 14- to 16-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
6 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons water
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
6 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage
1 medium orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced trimmed snow peas
sesame seeds for garnish

Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Put a large pot of water on to boil for spaghetti.

Combine lime juice, soy sauce and oil in a large bowl. Stir in tofu; marinate, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tofu to the prepared baking sheet; reserve the marinade. Roast the tofu, stirring once halfway through, until golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain.

Whisk peanut butter, 3 tablespoons water, garlic and ginger into the reserved marinade. Add the spaghetti, cabbage, bell pepper and snow peas; toss to coat. Top with the tofu and sesame seeds.

from Eating Well August 2013

exported from Home Cookin v9.70 (www.mountain-software.com)