For lunch today I made a simple stir fry. I was working from home today, so I had only a little time to prepare lunch. I had some leftover whole wheat spaghetti and decided to use it in a stir fry. I fried some tofu until it was crispy, then I added some bok choy, garlic, ginger and scallions. I made a simply spicy peanut sauce and lunch was ready in 15 minutes.
I came across a great item in the frozen section of the grocery store over the weekend. It is frozen crushed ginger. It saves a lot of time from peeling and chopping ginger when you are in a hurry. The brand is Dorot. Check for it near the frozen veggies. It is frozen in individual cubes and each cube is one teaspoon.
For dinner I used one of my favorite cookbooks, the Candle 79 Cookbook. I made Black Bean and Roasted Poblano Soup. It is very spicy. So if you make this recipe and do not like a lot of spice, then reduce the amount of chipotle chili powder. You could probably leave it out entirely, but add smoked paprika so you will still have some smoky flavor in the soup. This is a very nice recipe. There are a lot of nice flavors, especially from the roasted poblano and red pepper.
I served the soup with a side salad and some rolls. This soup is definitely hardy enough to serve alone. It is very filling and makes a nice meal.
Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce
1/2 pound of whole wheat spaghetti noodles, cooked
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 of a brick of 14oz Firm Tofu, cubed
1 small bok choy, chopped
3 scallions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 -2 teaspoons Sriracha
2 tablespoons, more if needed to thin sauce
In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, Sriracha and water. You want a thick sauce, but if it is too thick add more water.
In a wok or large skillet, heat the canola and sesame oils. Add tofu. Cook tofu until lightly browned on all sides. Add bok choy and cook for two minutes or until the bok choy is wilted.
Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes or until the garlic is fragrant. Add the scallions and the pasta. Cook until heated through. Add the sauce and cilantro. Stir to coat the noodles. Serve immediately.
