My favorite hobby of all time is going out to eat! (That can be a hobby, right?!) So, COVID has put me in a major funk. We haven’t been to a restaurant since March. But, on the bright side, we’ve saved a ton of money by not going out to eat or out for drinks! The other day I was really craving Chinese food. And while yes, I could order some take out, I decided be good (aka budget friendly to make up for the drive through Starbucks I’ve been treating myself to…). Tofu, veggies and ramen noodles are always staples in our house. I decided to make a vegetarian stir fry and serve it over noodles, rather than our typical rice. It was so delicious and has definitely become a staple in our house! My 4 year old LOVES these noodles, so I hope your kids will enjoy them too!
Ingredients:
For Vegetarian Stir Fry:
-1 package extra firm tofu
-veggies: bell pepper, cabbage, broccoli, etc. (super customizable to whatever you have in the fridge)
-sauce (I love House of Tsang Bangkok Peanut Sauce which I got from Kroger, but I’ve also seen yummy stir fry sauce options from Aldi, which I might try next time.)
For Noodles:
-3 blocks of Lotus Organic Millet and Brown Rice Ramen (I got a big bag from Costco)
Sides: Serve with whatever you want! But I used the following…
–Nasoya Thai Basil Vegetable Dumplings (from Kroger)
-Sauteed shishito peppers (from my own garden, but you might be able to find at the grocery store)
Directions:
- Heat some oil in a pan over medium heat. Add pressed*, crumbled tofu and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add your veggies, cook to your preferred softness. I cooked mine for about 7 minutes.
- Add sauce and heat through. Lower temperature to low while you prepare the sides.
- Boil water in a pot and cook ramen noodles according to package. (they cook in just a few minutes!)
- Sautee/steam dumplings and cook according to package.
- Sautee shishitos over medium-high heat in sesame oil for 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
*It’s very important to press your tofu! This gets all the excess water out. To do this, put a clean dish towel (folded in half) on a clean counter. Place your tofu block on the towel. Put another clean dish towel (folded in half) on top of the tofu block. Place something heavy on the top towel, like a frying pan. This helps press all the extra moisture out of the tofu block and is crucial for getting an ideal tofu texture.
