About a month ago I went out with a group to celebrate a friend's birthday. We headed for a Philly favorite called Han Dynasty, a Schezuan Chinese restaurant known for its authentic and incredibly delicious food. Han Dynasty has a reputation for serving up dishes so spicy that tears will pour from your eyes and sweat will collect in places you'd definitely rather it not while out at a social event. Every bite is a glorious combination of heaven and torture. Even though it was about 30 degrees out that night, we all went out for ice cream afterward to put out the fires still raging in our mouths.
Dinner tonight was at home, but what emerged from the stove top was reminiscent of that meal at Han Dynasty. Saucy, authentic, and hot, the stir fry of aromatic noodles, savory tofu, and crisp vegetables brought the big flavors of Schezuan. The best part is that it was all ready in a matter of minutes... which barely gave me enough time to pour myself the big glass of milk I knew I'd need to tame the heat after every bite.
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light. To make it less spicy, omit red pepper flakes.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 clove minced garlic
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1lb extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cubed
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil w/chili
2 cups stir fry vegetables of choice (I used green beans and carrots)
1/4 cup thinly sliced white onion
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1/4 package Chinese egg noodles (about 1/2 inch wide)
Directions:
Combine the hoisin sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, red pepper and garlic. Stir until well combined, then toss together with the cubed tofu. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Using tongs, transfer each cube of tofu to the pan and stir fry for about 3 minutes on a side until a crisp edge appears. Reserve the extra sauce in the bowl.
Add sesame oil to pan. Add all of your vegetables and stir-fry 4 minutes or until tender. Pour the rest of the sauce into the pan and over the tofu and vegetables, then add the egg noodles and toss to coat. Allow to cook 2 minutes until noodles are soft, then sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.
Combine the hoisin sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, red pepper and garlic. Stir until well combined, then toss together with the cubed tofu. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Using tongs, transfer each cube of tofu to the pan and stir fry for about 3 minutes on a side until a crisp edge appears. Reserve the extra sauce in the bowl.
Add sesame oil to pan. Add all of your vegetables and stir-fry 4 minutes or until tender. Pour the rest of the sauce into the pan and over the tofu and vegetables, then add the egg noodles and toss to coat. Allow to cook 2 minutes until noodles are soft, then sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.
Just copied this into my Vegetarian Recipes book. I will let you know how it comes out!
ReplyDeleteI could always look for a new way to cook with tofu! Thanks!
ReplyDelete- Vanessa @ The Project Zen