Vegetable Udon Noodles served with Breaded Tofu

This is a great vegetarian meal with tons of flavor. After watching Food Inc, I am trying to incorporate more vegetables and different proteins (other than meat) into our diets. Besides being careful about where our chickens and beef are coming from, I am also very careful about buying local fruits and vegetables.

We all love tofu in our family but again- I have started looking for non-GMO soy products. I found this extra firm tofu at Whole Foods. I usually use tofu in a stir fry but this time I wanted to make something different. I decided to marinate tofu sticks and then use the same breading technique I use to make crunchy chicken fillets. The tofu sticks were delicious- crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside- really good.

I also found Udon noodles in Whole Foods- the best part is the noodles are made out of whole wheat. I chopped up some broccolini and used the shredded carrots I always have in the fridge and made a delicious noodle dish. It was a great looking dish and we all ate it up. My daughter loved both the noodles and the tofu.

Try this fabulous vegetarian dish and I bet your kids will love it…

• 6 ounces udon noodles, cooked according to package instructions and keep aside

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil

Beat the eggs with the salt and the sesame oil and keep aside.

• 2-3 tablespoons tamari

• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 2 cups broccolini, chopped
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons grated garlic

Heat a wok-like pan and add the olive oil. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté quickly on very high heat- about 5-6 seconds. Add the carrots and green onions. Saute for a minute. Lower the heat to medium and add the beaten eggs. Stir rapidly cooking the eggs. Next, turn the heat to high again and add the broccolini. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the noodles and mix well. Add the tamari and mix well, stirring constantly. Taste for seasonings and add more tamari if needed. Serve with tofu on top.

Breaded Tofu

• 1 14 oz tofu block- slice in half and cut into 12 long sticks
• 2 teaspoons tamari
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated

Add the tofu sticks to a zip lock bag. Add the tamari and ginger to the bag. Marinate for 2 to 3 hours.

Breading

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Add the flour into a shallow wide bowl and mix the salt and pepper.

• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Add the eggs and beat in the water, salt and sesame oil to a shallow wide bowl.

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Add the breadcrumbs and salt to a shallow wide bowl. Mix well.

• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil

Start the breading by dredging the tofu sticks into the flour mixture. Then dip into the egg and then coat with the panko breadcrumbs. Saute the sticks in a non-stick frying pan with the oil. Cook on each side on medium heat, making sure all sides are golden brown. Place on a paper towel lined platter.
Serve the tofu sticks on top of the udon noodles.