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Vegan Cashew Szechuan Noodles

Course cashew noodles, noodles, tofu
Cuisine vegan dinner, vegan lunch
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes

Ingredients

for the tofu

  • 8 ounces extra firm tofu
  • 1 T tamari
  • 1 T maple syrup
  • 2-3 T cornstarch

for the Cashew Noodles Sauce

  • 1/3 cup cashew butter
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 T rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 2 t fresh ginger
  • 2 T tamari
  • 1 T sriracha
  • 1/4 t dry mustard See Sound Bites below to learn why this is essential
  • 1/3 cup water

for the rest

  • 1 large crown broccoli
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 radish
  • 8 ounces udon noodles
  • 1/4 cup almonds chopped optional for garnish
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions optional for garnish

Instructions

  1. Prepare the tofu, by draining from the package and slicing into one inch squares.
  2. Wrap tofu in paper towels and weight down with a heavy object (I used a cast iron pan) for 15-20 minutes.
  3. Mix the tamari (or soy sauce) and maple syrup in a plastic baggie.
  4. When the tofu has drained, carefully place in the baggie and turn baggie over to cover all of the tofu.
  5. While the tofu marinates, place all of the ingredients for the sauce (except for the water!) in a small blender or processor.
  6. Blend until creamy.
  7. Add 1/3 cup water to processor and blend, adding more or less for desired consistency.
  8. Set aside.
  9. Slice the cucumber and radishes super thin and set aside on a plate.
  10. Chop broccoli into bite-sized pieces.
  11. Spray a large cast iron skillet with cooking spray.
  12. Sauté broccoli over medium heat until bright green and crispy.
  13. Set aside.
  14. Place cornstarch in a small bowl.
  15. Drain tofu and place tofu in the bowl with cornstarch to coat.
  16. Spray a little more cooking spray in the same pan used for broccoli and brown the tofu pieces over medium heat, turning every few minutes until all sides are golden.
  17. Add broccoli and sauce back to the pan with the tofu and warm on low heat.
  18. Prepare noodles (udon usually are done after 4 minutes), drain and add to cast iron pan.
  19. Mix everything well to coat with sauce, adding water if necessary.
  20. Plate and garnish with almonds and green onions.

Recipe Notes

Broccoli's cancer-fighting ingredient is called sulforophane. It is activated by chewing RAW broccoli and, until recently, folks thought broccoli needed to be ingested raw to gain this benefit. Recent studies have found that adding a little mustard seed to cooked broccoli will increase the production of sulforophane. Amazing! Check out this video for more info.