Thai Spicy Peanut Tofu with Rice Noodles

The boys and I are going out of town next week so we have been trying to use up some of the perishable items that we know Steve won't eat while we are gone. This afternoon I realized there was a package of tofu that I bought two weeks ago and forgot about. I have eaten tofu plenty of times in Thai restaurants but I had never tried to cook with it before tonight.

I spent a good chunk of time this afternoon, during the boys' downtime, doing research on tofu. I learned different ways to prepare it for cooking such as what makes it taste more like a meat VS. a mushy add in to a meal. It's such an interesting and versatile food.

Tonight I chose a recipe that I knew we had almost all of the ingredients and then, of course, I altered it.

Thai Spicy Peanut Tofu with Rice Noodles(adapted from THAI CHICKEN STIR-FRY WITH SPICY PEANUT SAUCE)
1/2 package rice noodles (I used Trader Joe's brand, but the brand that is linked here I also love)
1/2 LB. tofu, cubed
1/4 C. peanut butter, crunchy adds a little texture to the dish
1/2 C. water
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. brown sugar
2 T. sweet chili sauce (without this it is VERY peanut buttery)
2 tsp. vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
3-4 C. broccoli
crispy chow mein noodles (optional)

Prepare tofu. Take it out of package, drain, and rinse. Place a double layer of paper towels on a plate, place the brick of tofu on the paper towel, place another paper towel on top of the tofu, followed by another plate and something to put a little pressure on the tofu and squeeze out the water. (I used a can of beans) Let it drain for 20-30 min before cubing it.

Put rice noodles in boiling water and boil for 6-8 minutes, drain and set aside.

 

Mix peanut butter, water, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce and brown sugar; set aside.

Heat 1 tsp. oil, whisk eggs in a bowl, pour eggs in pan with oil and make scrambled eggs. scoop onto a plate and set aside.

Put the other tsp. of oil in the pan and add onion and red pepper. Stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add tofu and stir fry for about 5 minutes or until it is turning a light brown  color. Add veggies and stir fry about 3 minutes more. Stir in peanut butter mixture and cook stirring constantly  until the sauce is smooth. Toss the noodles and eggs in and mix until everything is thoroughly combined. Serve topped with chow mein noodles if desired.

Both Steve and I were very impressed by how well the meal turned out. I am very curious to learn more about tofu and the different ways to make it. I still have 1/2 lb. of tofu left to use up in the next few days so keep an eye out for a post about baked tofu coming soon!