Sesame Noodles with Fried Tofu and Garlicy Soy Sauce Green Beans

I was going to an event Friday night, and therefore needed to come up with a dinner that I could throw together quickly. As is not unusual, I turned to one of my favorite bloggers, The Pioneer Woman. Ages ago, she posted a recipe called Simple Sesame Noodles. They take about 10 minutes, or as long as it takes to boil some spaghetti noodles. For a little protein, I cooked some tofu and for some veggies, I made some green beans. Fast, easy dinner, and totally delicious. Win.

Recipe (sesame noodles from The Pioneer Woman)
box of spaghetti noodles
firm tofu, cut in cubes
couple tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 lb of green beans
one small diced onion
2 cloves of minced garlic
4 whole green onions, sliced thin

For Sesame Sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
3 Tbsp pure sesame oil
4 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp hot water

Cook noodles according to package. Drain and set aside in a bowl. Throw green beans into pot of boiling water and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Drain green beans. Heat olive oil in skillet for tofu and olive oil in another skillet or wok for green beans. Throw tofu cubes into skillet and let brown on all sides, until golden. Add onions to wok for green beans and cook until translucent. Add green beans and garlic and toss together until green beans are tender. Season with soy sauce, to taste. Whisk together ingredients for sesame sauce and toss over cooked spaghetti. Toss noodles together and top with sliced green onions.

Carrie: Iron Chef Blogger Challenge Peanut Butter

I don't really like peanut butter. I'm crazy, I know, but we've had this discussion before. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Not good. So I definitely was a little like oh...peanut butter...when I saw the secret ingredient. I thought about baking, but then decided to see what else I could find. And boy, am I glad I chose not to bake because I haven't loved a recipe this much since ICBC Bacon. I found a recipe on Love and Olive Oil, one of my favorite cooking blog sites. Their Tofu Noodle Toss with Taylor's Kick-Butt Peanut Sauce was so easy to throw together and completely delicious. Just as good the next day for lunch too. Make it. Now. I promise you won't regret it. There are no measurements for how many noodles or veggies, so it's kind of like an estimation game. But that also means it's pretty hard to screw it up. It's a recipe with a fair amount of wiggle room, I think, and that's a good thing.

Tofu Noodle Toss with Taylor's Kick-Butt Peanut Sauce
noodles (I used whole wheat spaghetti)
firm tofu, drained and cubed
veggies (I used eggplant, asparagus, green beans, red bell pepper, red onions, and green onions)
olive oil
kale, rinsed and stems removed

For Peanut Sauce (for 4-5 servings)
2/3 cup peanut butter
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons garlic salt (which I didn't have so I minced three cloves of garlic and added a pinch of salt)
6 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Sriracha chili sauce, to taste
water, if necessary to thin sauce

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to a hot pan and brown tofu cubes. Place browned cubes on a plate lined with a paper towel.
Add another tablespoon of oil and cook veggies until tender. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add a couple more tablespoons of olive oil, add kale, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender. Remove to a serving dish.
To make peanut sauce, combine all the ingredients except for water to a microwave safe bowl and mix well. Microwave for 40 seconds and stir until smooth. Add a little water if sauce looks too thick. Move tofu and veggies back into the pan, add noodles, then peanut sauce and toss until well coated. Serve atop bed of kale.