MISO PEANUT BUTTER NOODLES
this miso pb noodle dish is my take on pad thai comforting, rich, with a side of veggies
6 servings, 40 minutes
Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) package of Dried Pad Thai noodles
1 (16 oz) package of extra firm Tofu
1 (8 oz) package of mushrooms
3-4 bunches of bok choy
1 bunch of scallions
Ghee/olive oil/butter
Miso Peanut Butter Sauce:
1/2 cup miso paste
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup unsalted PB
4 tbsp rice vinegar
4 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp sesame oil
2-4 tbsp gochujang or Chile paste (depending on preference of spice level)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
The Blistered Peppers Take:
I don’t know why but I keep craving asian fusion dishes. Whether it noodles, curry, rice, I want it and I’ll order it if we’re out. Sometimes you just need some new flavors to spice (pun intended) up your life.
Some of my friends are vegetarians and - don’t judge me - I find it boring to cook for them. And I bet, they’re bored of my food too. It is typically some sort of salmon dish with two sides of veggies. I mean, salmon is king. I eat salmon 3 times a week - EASY!
So I popped over to Sunrise Mart - one of my favorite stores in New York City. And I browsed the store slowly looking for inspiration. Noodles: you can use pad thai or udon. Both types of noodles are delicious, but I think the pad thai is nice in this recipe because it is a little lighter. Udon works better in soup. A whole plate of udon is a little too heavy for my liking. Next, a vegetarian-friendly protein: TOFU!
This is how I start creating a dish. One ingredient or two and build around that. So as you think of how you’re going to create this recipe, I encourage you to next think about vegetables that 1. you like and 2. go well with this dish. I LOVE boy choy and mushrooms. Shitake mushrooms have a great umami taste and would stay on theme.
Steps:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Start by making miso peanut butter sauce. There is no order here, so just add all the ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk well.
If the miso or PB is a little tough to mix, place in microwave for about 20 seconds. Mix again.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cut the firm tofu into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Cover the tofu with miso peanut butter sauce - on both sides. Bake for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the shitake mushrooms about 1/8 inch thick. Cut the bottom of the bok choy bunches off and wash the boy choy pieces, and leave them out to dry on a kitchen or paper towel.
In a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee, then add the mushrooms. Saute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until tender and slightly browned, about 8 minutes. Set the mushrooms aside.
In a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then add the bok choy. Saute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 3-5 minutes. Take care not to overcook as the bok choy will be stringy and mushy.
In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add the pad thai noodles and cook for about 5 minutes - or follow package instructions. Strain the noodles and add to a large saute pan. Add about 1/2 cup of the miso peanut butter sauce to the noodles and stir well - you can always add more sauce if you want!
At this point, the tofu should be cooked and you can remove from the oven if you haven’t already. Using tongs, place a large serving of noodles in a bowl, top with bok choy, mushrooms, tofu, and sliced scallions if you so choose.
If you have a bit of miso peanut sauce remaining, spoon on top of each bowl. Serve warm and enjoy!
