Tofu Puffs With Mushrooms And Round Rice Noodles Recipes

Steps:

• Place the shitake mushrooms in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and cook for 20 minutes. Drain and remove the stems, squeezing out any excess water. Meanwhile, place the noodles in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and soak briefly. Gently separate the noodles with your hands and drain well.
• Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan, cover and slowly heat over low heat.
• Add the noodles to the simmering stock along with the carrot, tofu puffs, shitake mushrooms and bok choy. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the carrot and noodles are tender and the bok choy has wilted slightly. Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil and season to taste with white pepper.
• Divide the noodles,vegetables, tofu puffs and enoki mushrooms among four serving bowls, ladle the broth on top and serve immediately.
• (Another option is to keep the broth boiling in the pot, then put the noodles, mushroom, carrot and bok choy into the bowls, and pour the broth over the top, that way the bok choy doesn't get too overcooked if you plan to keep some for later).

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. As the oven heats, press the tofu (you can do this by sandwiching the block in paper towels and placing a cutting board, plus a heavy pot, can or book on top).
• Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and place in a medium bowl. Add the salt and oils, and toss to combine.
• Sprinkle the cornstarch, panko and sesame seeds, if using, and toss gently so the tofu cubes are coated.
• Spread on the prepared sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, flipping once, until golden-brown and crisp.
• While the tofu bakes, start the noodles: Put the dry rice noodles in a big, wide bowl. Fill a kettle, bring the water to a boil, and pour the boiling water over the noodles to cover. Set aside for 6 to 10 minutes, until the noodles are fully rehydrated and soft. (Time may vary by brand.) Then drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Transfer noodles to a large bowl.
• As the noodles soak, prepare the spicy sesame oil: In a small pot, combine sesame oil, peanut oil, garlic, ginger, red-pepper flakes and sesame seeds. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook on the lowest heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until the garlic slices turn golden.
• Meanwhile, on your cutting board, make a small mound with the teaspoon of salt. Place the basil and the scallions on top, and use your knife to furiously chop and smash until you have a rough paste.
• Mix the basil paste into the bowl of rice noodles. Pile the baby spinach on top. Pour at least half of the hot oil immediately over the spinach, tossing so that the heat wilts the leaves slightly. Then add the juice of the 1/2 lime and toss to combine. Taste for salt and lime juice, and add more oil as you see fit.
• Arrange the tofu on top of the noodles, or mix them in so that the cubes hide like little treasures. For extra flair, garnish with additional sesame seeds and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

Steps:

• Combine water, liquid soy seasoning, arrowroot, ginger, and garlic in a jar. Set glaze aside.
• Line a plate with paper towels, set tofu on top, and add another layer of paper towels. Place a cutting board on top of the tofu and set a heavy pot on the board. Let sit for 30 minutes, replacing the paper towels as needed, to press as much liquid as possible from the tofu.
• Place rice noodles into a large bowl, cover with cold water, and soak. Cut pressed tofu into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add tofu and stir-fry until all sides are golden, about 5 minutes. Add all mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Mix in bell pepper and onion, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Pour glaze on top and cook until sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes.
• Remove rice noodles from water, shake off excess liquid, and add to the wok. Stir-fry until heated thorough, about 3 minutes.