I’m a big noodle fan. Udon, soba, ramen, rice… I don’t discriminate! There is something comforting in the slurping action, and yet, it’s like a friendly challenge to get the slippery noodles in your mouth. I like a food that makes you work for it a little bit – it builds anticipation and adds a playfulness to dinnertime! These rice noodles take less than five minutes to cook, are gluten free, are easily available in the grocery store, and are a great way to break up your normal weekly dinner rotation.

I find that I often get into ruts when it comes to the vegetables I buy at the grocery store, and I forget about all of the unique and delicious produce options that this beautiful Earth provides for us. This week, I decided to make baby bok choy with my rice noodles because I really enjoy it and don’t often eat it. You can use whatever vegetable you’d like with this easy noodle + tofu base, but I recommend trying the bok choy because the texture and flavor really complement the other textures in this recipe.

Ingredients
1/2 package Thai Kitchen thin rice noodles
2-4 heads baby bok choy
1/2 package of extra firm tofu
4 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp maple syrup
salt
sesame seeds for garnish, optional

 

Instructions
1. Press the tofu block into paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Cut the block into cubes, and then marinate in a bowl with soy sauce and maple syrup.
2. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add rice noodles and remove from heat. Leave 3-5 minutes or until the noodles are soft – then strain.
3. Meanwhile add 1/2 water to a deep skillet with a lid and heat over medium high heat. Once the water is bubbling, add the baby bok choy (make sure they are pre-washed or that you rinse them out thoroughly) to the shallow water. Cover and reduce heat, gently simmering for about 5 minutes or until the leaves are bright green and just soft.
4. Heat a small skillet over high heat and add marinated tofu cubes, tossing frequently to get an even browning on each side and to avoid burning.
5. Serve rice noodles with a dash of soy sauce, and top with tofu, bok choy, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Serves 2