Ingredients
Dressing
1/4 cup (60 ml) rice vinegar
1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) canola oil
1 tbsp (15 ml) sesame oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) honey or brown sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) lime juice
2 tsp (10 ml) grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 cup (60 ml) peanut or almond butter or tahini (sesame seed paste)
Salad
300 g firm or extra-firm tofu
1/2 lb (454 g) Asian noodles, or as much as you think you’ll need
2 cups (500 ml) broccoli florets
1 small red pepper, sliced
1–2 green onions, chopped
canola or sesame oil, for cooking
1/4 cup (60 ml) sesame seeds
1/2 cup (125 ml) sliced almonds, toasted (optional)
Directions
To make the dressing, shake the vinegar, soy sauce, canola oil, sesame oil, honey, lime juice, ginger and garlic in a jar.
Pour over the tofu in a shallow dish, cover and refrigerate for an hour or up to a day, turning it once or twice. Remove the tofu from the marinade (reserving the marinade) and place on two sheets of paper towel; place another paper towel on top, then a plate or other flat object. Let sit for 30 minutes to press out any excess moisture – this will make your tofu extra crispy.
Whisk the almond or peanut butter into the marinade. Cook the noodles according to package directions, adding the broccoli for the last few minutes of cooking time; pour both into a colander to drain, and run under cold water to stop them from cooking. Drain well. Transfer to a bowl and add the red pepper and green onion. Drizzle with about half the dressing, toss and divide among bowls.
Cut the tofu into about 1-inch squares (or bite-sized pieces) and heat a drizzle of oil in a heavy skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and brown on all sides. Divide the crispy tofu among the bowls, top with sesame seeds and drizzle with extra dressing. Serve immediately. Serves 6.
PER SERVING (made with sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon cooking oil):
517 calories, 29 g fat (4.2 g saturated fat, 12 g monounsaturated fat, 13 g polyunsaturated fat), 50 g carbohydrates, 0 mg cholesterol, 17.7 g protein, 9.6 g fibre.
