Chile-Garlic Peanut Noodles

The "in-a-jiffy" dinner you need in your back pocket

Thank you for filling out my Weeknight Simple poll! The recipe that won, with almost half the vote, is the Chile-Garlic Peanut Noodles. And here it is.

PS: For those that signed up to my newsletter this past week, I just launched a new weeknight meal plan with 6 recipes/month for paid subscribers. See a preview of the January plan here and February plan here. Free subscribers get to choose which recipe they want to be sent out in my second monthly newsletter by taking a poll.

Chile-Garlic Peanut Noodles

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Air-fried or Baked Tofu, see recipe in Step 1

  • 16 oz extra-firm tofu[450g]

  • 2 Tbsp. Yondu seasoning or 4 Tbsp. lemon juice

  • ½ tsp. fine sea salt

  • ⅓ tsp. cracked black pepper

  • avocado oil spray

• 2 Tbsp. peanut butter, no sugar or additional oil added[32g]

• 2 Tbsp. low sodium vegetable broth or hot water

• 4 tsp. chile garlic paste, (storebought, such as Huy Fong)

• 2 tsp. tamari or 4 tsp soy sauce

• 2 tsp. tamarind concentrate paste, (storebought - such as Tamicon) or 1 Tbsp lime juice

• 8 oz Zenb lentil pasta (yellow pea), (I used spaghetti) or other lentil pasta (at least 12g protein per 56g)

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

• 1 large red bell pepper(s)[200g] , cut into 2-inch strips

• 2 heaped cups shredded purple cabbage[200g]

• 4 oz matchstick carrot(s)[112g]

• 5 oz baby bok choy leaves[140g] , roughly chopped or kale

• fine sea salt, to taste

• cracked black pepper, to taste

• 4 Tbsp. toasted white sesame seeds

Directions

Step 1. Prepare the tofu: Preheat the air-fryer to 400F/200C or oven to 450F/230C. Pat tofu dry and slice into 1-inch cubes. In a bowl or airtight container, drizzle Yondu seasoning or lemon juice over tofu and gently toss with clean hands to coat each piece. Marinate for at least 15 minutes (or overnight in an airtight container if not making immediately).

Step 2. As the tofu marinates, make the sauce: Combine peanut butter, broth, chile-garlic paste, tamari and tamarind concentrate by either blending together in a small blender (you can make a double batch for more volume) or whisking together in a bowl until smooth.

Step 3. Toss the tofu with salt, pepper and a few good sprays of avocado oil. Air-fry for 6-8 mins or bake for 8-12 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Step 4. Cook the noodles according to package directions. When cooked, drain and save 1/4 cup of the starchy water.

Step 5. As the noodles cook, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add olive oil, bell pepper, cabbage and carrots, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes or until fork-tender but still crisp. Add the bok choy leaves and cook until wilted. Add the Air-fried or Baked Tofu and toss.

Step 6. Add 2 Tbsp of the starchy water to the peanut sauce and mix to get a thinner sauce. Transfer the cooked noodles to the skillet with the vegetables, pour the peanut sauce over them and toss until integrated. Taste and add salt and pepper, toasted sesame seeds and toss again until heated throughout.

Notes:

The peanut sauce (Step 2) can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. The tofu can also be marinated ahead of time and stored in the fridge (or the finished version can be stored too - just give it a 2-minute air-fry to wake it up).

Nutrition per serving (see disclaimer)

Lower carb option - Use Kaizen lupini bean pasta, hearts of palm noodles (Trader Joes or Palmini, or spiralized zucchini noodles)