Friday

Discovery of the day: ISO the perfect peanut noodles

Took another stab at the 'peanut noodles w/tofu & veg' thing last night using this recipe as a base.

Results were mixed but it's not the recipe's fault. I finally got the baked tofu thing* figured out (yay!) but I learned that 100% buckwheat soba noodles are not my favorite, and the peanut sauce from the recipe just wasn't quite what I was hoping for.

Instead of salt I added some soy sauce but it could have used more. The vinegar component seemed almost too noticeable. I'm not sure it was actually too much vinegar as much as the complete absence of a sweet component, which I kind of expect in a peanut sauce.

Also, instead of dressing the noodles en masse while they were warm, we dressed them in the serving bowls after they had sat and cooled off. Results were uneven at best.

After dinner I added some agave nectar (a post for another day) and a little extra soy to the sauce and it helped quite a bit. I think I under-pepper-flaked it too.

Between the lackluster noodles, less-thrilling-than-expected sauce, and my botched assembly, it was a little disappointing. I think if I get some real soba -- or even whole wheat angelhair pasta -- to use with the modified sauce it'll all go much better.

I am bound and determined to come up with a go-to version of peanut noodles! I think I'm getting close.

* Here's my new favorite method for preparing tofu. I should probably take another look at that sauce. I tried the coconut extract last time and for some reason the taste bothered me. But I bet I could combine elements from both recipes and get something that works for us.