Faith Kramer, Paper Palate – With spring break, spring cleaning and spring holidays, I find that I'm behind in some of my regular chores and activities. One of those includes reporting on the April issue of Vegetarian Times. One recipe that really caught my attention in that issue could turn out to be a family favorite; certainly my teen-age son wolfed it down and cleared out the leftovers the next day.
The Southeast Asian Peanut Noodles skillet supper from the magazine's "Quick-1 Pot" feature is vegan, can be put together in 30 minutes or less and is delicious. Below is the magazine's recipe from the feature authored by Frank P. Melodia.
Bring 6 cups of water to boil in a large nonstick skillet. Add noodles, stir to separate and then cover and remove from heat. Let stand 6 minutes to soften. Drain and set aside. Whisk teriyaki sauce, 2 Tbs. hot water, peanut better and chili sauce in a small bowl. Dry out skillet. Add sesame oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add snow peas and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add tofu and stir fry 1 minute. Add teriyaki mixture and cook 2 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Add noodles to mixture and pan and gently toss with fork for 2 to 3 minutes or until noodles are coated with sauce and heated through. Sprinkle with cilantro and peanuts. Serve hot with lime wedges.
One note: Don't try to cook the noodles too far in advance. If they sit around too long they will begin to stick to each other. If you must make the noodles in advance, toss them with a little vegetable oil to keep the strands separate.