Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Soba Noodles with Eggplant, Snow Peas, and Tofu

Main Dishes

We’ve been so busy lately that I’ve baked more “emergency” frozen pizzas for dinner than I’d care to admit. I have managed to whip up some soba noodles a couple of times though. They’re so quick and tasty, and there’s nothing better than a one pot meal. For this version I mixed in tamarind eggplant, snow peas, and tofu, along with my favorite sesame soy dressing – yum!

Soba Noodles with Eggplant, Snow Peas, and Tofu
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 large eggplant, chopped into bite-sized cubes
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
1/2 cup hot water
9 ounces snow peas
15 ounces extra firm tofu, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 pound soba noodles
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil over medium high heat in a large pan or wok; add eggplant to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until lightly browned. Stir tamarind concentrate into hot water until well dissolved and pour into the pan. Simmer eggplant in tamarind liquid over medium heat for 8 minutes; add snow peas and tofu to the pan, stir well, and simmer an additional 5 to 8 minutes or until eggplant and snow peas are tender and all the liquid has evaporated.

Prepare soba noodles according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water. Place soba noodles in a large bowl. Mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, 3 remaining tablespoons canola oil, sesame oil, honey, and garlic in a small bowl and mix well. Pour dressing over soba noodles and toss until evenly coated; stir in eggplant, snow peas, and tofu. Makes 6 servings. Serve cold or at room temperature, if desired.

Nutrition: 454 calories, 19.3g fat, 3.3g fiber, 19.0g fiber per serving
Cost: $1.67 per serving

Mediterranean Couscous

Some things are just meant to be. A couple of weeks ago I was jogging through Harvard Square when I heard someone calling my name. I was disoriented for a second, but when I turned around, I was surprised to see that it was my friend Rashmi from college – crazy, huh –...

Sweet Chili Apricot Shrimp Skewers over Israeli Couscous

Apolinaras really enjoyed the last Israeli couscous dish I made. In fact, he said it would have been a 10 if I hadn’t included the spinach in the salad, haha. He snuck another box into our cart at Trader Joe’s recently, which I thought was pretty cute, and since he’s...

Maple Pecan Salmon over Roasted Potato, Apple, and Bacon Hash

I don’t usually buy a lot of produce at Costco, since it’s tough for just the two of us to eat our way through their large packages of fruits and veggies before it all spoils (although I do regularly make an exception of their Brussels sprouts and berries because we...

Sun Dried Tomato Turkey Meatloaf

Poor meatloaf. I think meatloaf tends to get a bad rap, but I will always have a soft spot for it because it was the first dish I ever made for Apolinaras. I was a baby of 22 and just starting to get comfortable in the kitchen when I invited him over for dinner. We’d...

Yuzu Miso Mahi Mahi

I recently swooned over a delicious yuzu miso sauce served with one of the tuna rolls at our local sushi joint and decided something similar must be incorporated into my next fish dish - never mind the fact that I didn’t even know what yuzu was or where to find it!...

Greek Meatball Lasagna with Roasted Eggplant and Zucchini

Back in February, our friend Catherine invited us to stay at her family’s house by the Berkshire East Ski Resort. It was only my third time skiing, having grown up in the flat Midwest, and I’m a bit of a klutz, so I was cautiously looking forward to it. Catherine’s...

Bacon and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breasts over Sweet Potato Hash

I’m always on the hunt for new chicken recipes and often times will just write “chicken” on my blog recipe idea list as motivation to dream up something new! Stuffed chicken is one of our favorites, and I especially love using a little mascarpone cheese in the filling...

Spicy Soba Noodles with Sesame Stick Coated Chicken and Broccoli Slaw

Today’s recipe is brought to you by the letters T and J. I love to gush about the unique products at Trader Joe’s and often find inspiration just wandering their aisles. Last weekend I stumbled upon this prepackaged organic broccoli slaw. I’m not a huge cabbage fan,...