chili garlic noodles with grilled tofu

Man, oh man. These are fantastic. Just writing this makes me want to make these for dinner! Why order takeout and spend all that money when you can put a little effort in and make something so delicious? The chili garlic sauce is a little spicy, a little sweet and oh so yummy! I made this one night when Mike was out in the field and I made it the night he got home. He freaked a little about the tofu (he is a meat eater) but he loved it. So creamy and spicy - we love spicy foods so this just hits the spot. It seems like a pile of ingredients but once you have them all, you only use ¼ cup here and there so they last forever. Keep the spoilable items in your fridge and I promise you’ll have enough of these ingredients on hand to make a hundred Asian recipes!

Chili Garlic Noodles with Grilled Tofu

Serves 4.

Don’t like tofu? Never fear! Use pork loin or chicken breasts instead.

Grilled Tofu:

16 ounces extra firm tofu

½ cup soy sauce
½ cup red or white wine
½ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup Asian sesame oil

¼ cup tahini
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons hot chili sauce, or to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt

Chili Garlic Noodles:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sliced shallots
1 cup sliced garlic
Salt
2 roasted yellow bell peppers, diced
1 roasted red jalapeno pepper, diced
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup honey
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 pound angel hair pasta
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves (I totally forgot to use the herbs but you must!)
¼ cup chopped fresh Thai basil leaves
¼ cup chopped scallions

Drain the tofu, slice each block in half, and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet or tray lined with several thicknesses of paper toweling. Cover with more paper toweling and a second baking sheet or cutting board, top with a heavy weight (such as aluminum foil-wrapped bricks or canned foods), and let stand for 1 to 2 hours to remove excess moisture.

To make the marinade, combine the soy sauce, wine, vinegar, oils, chili sauce and garlic and mix well. Set aside.

Cut each slab of drained tofu into 2 squares and arrange them in a shallow nonreactive container. Pour the marinade over the tofu, cover, and refrigerate, turning occasionally, for at least 24 hours or up to 6 days; return to room temperature before grilling.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the shallots and garlic and season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture bubbles, then continue to cook until the shallots are very soft, about 20 minutes. Drain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the bell peppers and the jalapeno pepper. Stir well; taste and adjust the seasoning.

Combine the soy sauce, honey, and vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat and cool.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes, then drain.

Put the noodles and soy-honey mixture in a large mixing bowl and toss until the noodles are well coated.

Preheat a grill pan to medium high heat. Remove the tofu from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Place tofu in pan, turning frequently and brushing with the marinade, until lightly browned on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and slice thinly.

To serve, put a bundle of noodles at the bottom of each serving plate. Spoon on the chili-garlic sauce, garnish with mint, basil, and scallions. Arrange sliced tofu on top of the noodles and serve!