By Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, McDougall Program cooking instructor
Servings: 6
Sauce:
¼ cup hoisin sauce (in the Asian section of the supermarket)
2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
2-3 medium-large garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Noodles and veggies:
½ pound dry rice vermicelli (also called Rice Sticks) or other thin rice noodles
water to boil noodles
½ pound extra firm tofu, cubed (water-packed, not silken)
1-2 large carrots, julienned
1-2 large celery stalks, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 cup green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal
1 medium red pepper, thinly sliced
1-3 tablespoons water (optional)
sea salt, to taste
black pepper
lemon wedges (optional)
In a bowl, combine all ingredients for the sauce, stir well, and set aside.
Prepare a pot of boiling water, and add noodles when ready.
While waiting for the water to boil, in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, add tofu and cook until brown. (You can either start the veggies in a separate pan or wait until the tofu is finished browning.) Remove tofu from pan, add water for sautéing and let it get hot. Add carrots, celery, and green onions, a couple pinches salt, and let cook for a couple of minutes. Add the peppers, and keep tossing. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add sauce mixture. Remove from heat if waiting for noodles.
Once noodles are cooked, drain and add them to vegetable mixture. If mixture is a little dry, add a little extra water. Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Hints: Rice noodles are available in most markets and natural food stores. They usually take very little time to cook and most packages will have detailed directions on the labels.
From The McDougall Newsletter September 2005 Vol. 4, No. 9