We are two individuals, sister-in-laws, and friends who are striving to thrive and be our personal best as well as making our surroundings a better place to live! Connected by faith, family, friendship, photos, and writing, we just want to share our journey with you!

Friday, April 2, 2010

For the love of Peanut Butter!


My husband LOVES peanut butter! I don't think that a day goes by when he doesn't consume it! My friend Delaney loves it too! I enjoy peanut butter but I don't think that I would consider it a food that I crave...

I tend to get into the comfortable habit of making a dish that I love over and over...it can become redundant so my husband and I decided that we would both choose one new recipe to make every week. That way we mix it up, keeping things exciting as well as meeting different nutritional needs (or cravings!)...my husband also loves pasta whereas I never really feel the deep desire to consume a bowl of pasta...that is until I tried this new recipe (Soba Noodles with Tofu and Gingered Peanut Sauce) from my new book The Vegan Cook's Bible by Pat Crocker. It's insanely delicious! I am enjoying the book too although there are a few mentions of fish and dairy which is fine although I don't really see it's relevance for the vegans that are drawn to the title...one thing that I do love though is that the book not only includes delicious recipes, but it also includes a section called 'Healthy Body Systems' as well as foods that are the best for each system (so maybe this is why they mention broiled or baked fish being the #1 best bets for Heart Health...I'm guessing they are drawing from statistics? I think since it is a vegan book though, maybe they could have just excluded this?? Just a thought!)...Anyways, all in all it's a great book with tons of information and great recipes!!! So here is the Soba Noodles with Tofu and Gingered Peanut Sauce recipe taken from The Vegan Cook's Bible! I have changed a few of the ingredients and measurements slightly but stayed pretty true to the original recipe! Next time I make this recipe I might try it with almond butter instead of peanut butter just to mix it up a bit!

Soba Noodles with Tofu and Gingered Peanut Sauce

8 oz soba noodles (I like buckwheat soba noodles)
1 pkg extra-firm organic non-gmo tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger root
1/2 hot pepper of choice cut into very small pieces
1/3 cup of shoyu sauce
2 tbsp organic cane sugar or maple sugar
1/3 cup of organic natural peanut butter (I like the crunchy!)
1/3 cup of warm water
2 tbsp organic olive oil
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cups of broccoli florets
2 cups of shredded kale or spinach (or both!)

1. Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot and then add the soba noodles. Cook the noodles for 6-8 minutes. When they are soft and ready, drain and rinse the noodles with cool water. Set aside

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine tofu, ginger, garlic, pepper, shoyu and sugar. Set aside. In another bowl, combine peanut butter and warm water. Set aside

3. In a wok, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Spoon the tofu from the marinade, reserving marinade and add to wok. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until lightly coloured. Scrape tofu and onions into marinade, stir in peanut butter with water and set aside.

4. Add toasted sesame oil to wok and heat. Add broccoli and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until tender-crisp. Stir in tofu mixture and kale or spinach. Simmer, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes, until kale is tender. Serve over cooked soba noodles.



This recipe is made in less than 1/2 hour and it's delicious for dinner and great as left-overs! I made it for Dan and my friend Erin and they both gave rave reviews! Enjoy!

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