ginger-sesame marinated baked tofu

Probably my favorite cookbook of all time is Thug Kitchen. And not just because it's hilariously foul-mouthed and completely vegan. It's incredibly simple, delicious food. "Eat like you give a f*ck" is their motto and I've never been disappointed with anything I've tried to make. The recipes are very accessible: the ingredients are easy to find, and the directions are easy to follow.

Here's the baked tofu I added to GP's cauliflower + kimchi 'fried rice' in a previous post. This tofu is amazing. Yes, tofu can be mouth watering goodness if you do it right. And here's a very meta moment between GP + TK.  

adapted from Thug Kitchen's Recipe

marinade:

1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp lime juice (about 1 big lime)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp minced ginger
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp Sriracha
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

to make your tofu:

*drain a block of extra firm tofu by wrapping in a towel and pressing between plates (weighted down by a can of bean) for 30 minutes
*mix together the marinade and pour into a shallow pie plate of baking dish
*cut the block of tofu width wise into 1/4" thick slices (about 12)
*place the slices in the marinade for 2-8 hours and stir occasionally if possible
(reserve leftover marinade)

*preheat oven to 450
*place tofu slices in a single layer on greased cookie sheet or parchment paper
*bake for 15 minutes
*flip tofu and spoon more marinade on top, bake for 10 more minutes
*flip tofu again and spoon remaining marinade on top, bake for 10 minutes
*let rest before cutting up

serving suggestions:
*serve in salads, wraps, and rice dishes for added protein and deliciousness

sesame noodles + veggies

Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook, It's All Easy, is home run. This sesame noodles recipe is delicious and I've added some veggies and edamame to make it a whole meal. It's hubby-approved, he even asked that this go on regular rotation. Score another one for team vegan!

One great thing about this recipe is that you can use whatever noodles you have on hand. I used udon, but you could also use rice noodles, soba, or spaghetti in a pinch. Also, I steamed my veggies, but the tamari + mirin + sesame oil makes for a very tasty stir-fry.

adapted from It's All Easy's Recipe

serves 4

3/4 pound noodles of your choice

1/3 cup tamari

3 Tbsp mirin

3 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

3 green onions, thinly sliced

3/4 cup frozen edamame 

1 cup trimmed green beans cut in half

1 red bell pepper, julienned

to make your noodles:

*cook noodles according package directions

*while noodles cook, whisk together tamari, mirin, and sesame oil in a large bowl

*when noodles are ready, drain and place them in the bowl with sauce, toss to combine and let them cool for 10 minutes

*add green onions

*steam your veggies (while noodles soak up sauce)

*combine everything and serve it up!

serving suggestions:
*garnish with sesame seeds, crumbled toasted nori sheets, chopped cilantro