noodles in thai curry sauce with tofu

baked tofu with soy sauce
i love all things spicy. and i really love asian food. did you read this article and view the slideshow about bangkok street food? oh my goodness. wow, i really need to get to thailand.

but in the meantime, here's a dinner that is super easy and pretty quick. and has endless variations. we added the carrots, peppers, and tofu to the original recipe. and for only 8 oz of noodles, it makes tons, which is great for leftover lunch in the cubicle. to make ourselves feel a little less guilty, we used the "light" version of coconut milk, and baked the tofu instead of frying it golden.

it also makes for interesting conversation during the cooking in our kitchen. i love the way mr. mimi cooks but he is always light on the veggies. he loves them, but he was trained in the french classical way and he likes things balanced; whereas i'm like bring it on and pile it up. seeing half a pepper in the fridge and a measly one carrot left in the bag ...

mimi: how come you didn't use all the carrots?

mr. mimi: it was too many.

mimi: oh honey, there can never be too many veggies!

noodles with thai curry sauce and tofu

noodles in thai curry sauce with tofu: serves 4
adapted from vegetarian cooking for everyone (1997, p. 480)

8 oz dried chinese noodles
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp minced ginger
2 large shallots, thinly sliced or 1/2 onion, diced
1 15-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1-3 tb red thai curry paste
2 tb soy sauce
2 scallions, thinly sliced into rounds
2 carrots, sliced
1/2 bell pepper, sliced 

1 lb firm tofu, cut into 1/2 cubes
mae ploy sauce (in chinese groceries, or it seems, amazon :) )
olive oil (original recipe called for peanut, but we didn't have)

1. preheat oven to 375F. toss tofu cubes in oil. place on baking sheet and bake until they are brown, 15-20 minutes. sprinkle with a little bit of soy sauce and put in oven for another 5 minutes.

2. meanwhile cook the noodles in plenty of boiling water until tender. drain and rinse well to stop the cooking.

3. heat oil in wok or skillet. add garlic and ginger and stir-fry over high heat until softened, about 2 minutes. add carrots, peppers, and shallots and cook until tender. add coconut milk, curry paste, and soy sauce, stirring to break up paste. lower heat and simmer until everything is well blended, about 3-4 minutes. add noodles and toss until warmed through. add scallions, mae ploy, and tofu and toss again.

before tossing to serve

dee-lish!