Udon Noodle Tofu Stir Fry

I’ve always had mixed feelings about tofu, more or less about the soy portion of it.  No, it’s not the best tasting thing in the world, but it can be tweaked to taste like virtually anything you season it with.  I’ve been more worried about the effects of soy.  Some say it’s bad, others claim it’s great.  Some say just the organic, fermented soy products are good and the unfermented are harmful.  Except I don’t know what products fall into which category, and even the endless amount of research I’ve done on the topic doesn’t give me any straight answers.  I figure a little tofu never hurt anyone, and small portions of it every so often will be a nice addition to stir fry dishes or rice meals like this one.  I really loved the seasoning on the tofu and was quite pleased with the outcome considering this is the first time I’ve cooked it.

1 8 oz package Udon noodles, cooked

8 oz organic tofu, cubed

2 cups broccoli florets, steamed

2 cups carrots, sliced thin and steamed

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1/3 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tbsp for frying

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup raw organic sesame seeds

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tbsp whole wheat flour

1 tsp dry mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cayenne pepper, minced

1/4 tsp chili powder

2  tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

• In a large bowl, toss together Udon noodles, broccoli, carrots and red pepper
• In a wok, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat for 1 minute
• Add onion and cook for 3 minutes
• Meanwhile, toss tofu cubes in a bowl with flour, cornstarch, mustard, chili powder, 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Add seasoned tofu to wok and cook for 7 minutes, turning once each side starts to brown
• Remove from heat and add to Udon mix
• In another frying pan over medium heat, cook cayenne pepper in 1/2 cup olive oil for 2 minutes, then add rice vinegar, garlic and seasame seeds and cook for 3 minutes, or until seeds begin to brown
• Remove from heat and pour into small bowl.  Add 1 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper and stir well
• Drizzle sesame seed sauce over Udon mix and stir together well