Hello! Thanks for being so supportive about the NYC trip! I promise, I shall reveal (and show) all when the time is right. Eeek – I’m so excited/nervous! More nervous, actually… Anyways, it won’t be too long. Bear with me! 
So, I must tell you, it was so warm out today I could have sworn I was in Maui or something! 
The sun was shining, the snow was melting, the birds were chirping and there was a happiness in the air as the temps climbed over 40 degrees. Hallelujah – we may beat this deep freeze, yet!
In other news, tonight I went out on a cooking limb, prepared tofu for the very first time, and made Sesame-Peanut Tofu Pasta for dinner!
Tofu is delicious, high in protein and a good alternative for meat eaters in some situations. But…it’s also kind of intimidating!
Tonight, though, I came to find out that preparing it is actually no sweat at all.
All I did was cut this block of tofu into 6 slices, then marinated the slices for 10 minutes in a mixture of chopped garlic, soy sauce and a little honey. Then I placed the slices on a non-stick sprayed baking sheet…
And popped them in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes, until the sides were golden brown.
While the tofu was cooking, I cooked up the rest of my Brown Rice Pasta.
Four minutes later (this pasta cooks fast!), I drained it and used the same pot to sauté some zucchini slices in non-stick spray and salt & pepper.
After the zuke slices had some color on them, I whisked up two eggs…
made a well in the middle of the pot, and scrambled them up.
Next I added my drained pasta back in, and drizzled the whole thing with a Sesame Peanut Sauce made from:
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
- red pepper flakes
- 1/2 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 Tablespoon honey
- 3/4 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
- ~1/2 cup water
Blend the garlic through peanut butter together in a food processor (or blender) and add water until desired taste is achieved.
Toss the pasta, zucchini, egg and sauce mixture until everything is warmed through, then top with tofu, matchstick carrots, green onions and chopped peanuts!
Voila – Sesame-Peanut Tofu Pasta!
Guys, if you’ve been holding off on making tofu because you were feeling a little uneasy about preparing it – give this baking method a try. It couldn’t be easier and then texture is spot on! Slightly chewy on the outside, yet firm on the inside. Perfect!
The brown rice pasta complimented the tofu’s texture so well – adding that signature pasta “chew”.
And the sauce – OH the sauce! Super flavorful, and since it’s thinned out by the water, it really permeates the dish, instead of “coating” it – know what I mean? Super killer!!
Now, I have been waiting ALL DAY for dessert tonight – my Caramel Witch brownie!!
This is a serious brownie. Dense, fudge, caramely – pure decadence! I’ll enjoy it for you!! 
The rest of the night involves unpacking (wretch) and hitting the hay early. I didn’t get home until well after midnight last night, and my eyeballs are burning. I’ll be as good as new after a good night’s sleep!
Good night!
~~~~~
Do you like tofu? Have you ever tried preparing it? Are there any other foods you’re afraid to cook?
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I had tofu for lunch! It used to scar me, but Iv’e totally embraced it. I’ve found the firm and extra firm just aren’t for me. if I’m craving tofu, it’s because I want that weird, jello like consistancy so I get the soft
I just baked my first tofu the other night, it came out great!
Ill admit. Being 1/2 Iowan and 100% midwest I’d be lieing if I didnt say I wasnt scared of tofu. It’s fine now when others make it…but I have yet to tackle that one as far as cooking it myself. I just might have to give this one a go!
Maybe I can sneak it into the next meal I make the “meat-and-potatoes” farm boys? Ill let you know how that goes over
I LOVE tofu…and haven’t made it in way too long! I might need another IGE-inspired dinner soon, and make this
That pasta looks scrumptious! I HEART tofu. I don’t understand why people are afraid of it. Love it in stir-fry.
- The Nutrition Nut
Never tried making tofu! I definitely want to though—this dish looks fabulous!!! Your dessert is making me very envious
I have never tried tofu and I admit that I’m terrified of making it! I also have these thoughts in my head that I’m not going to like the taste/texture. Guess there’s only one way to find out!
I don’t understand why people are so turned off from tofu. I could LIVE off the stuff. Honestly, anything you can make with chicken, you can make with tofu. It’s so versatile.
Your dinner looks liked it rocked!
I’ve only ever had tofu in my Pad Thai from Pei Wei, but I do love it in that dish! I’m curious to try cooking it now.. I’ve always wanted to make homemade cinnamon rolls, but my moms never tasted as good as my grandmothers, so I figure mine would be the same! haha.
That tofu & pasta look amazing! Yum
This looks fantastic! I cook with tofu a lot, it’s surprisingly easy! I am going to star this, and I think it will be the new recipe I try next week. I can’t wait to try it
That brownie looks amazing. I am so jealous.
I love tofu
I think it’s so versitile
You should try freezing it! It gives it a completely different texture. Much more chewy
THANK YOU for your tofu recipe!!! Tofu is intimidating to me because I don’t like it if it’s not just the right texture, but I’ll take your word for it on this one. I made your turkey pot pie recipe the other night and it was awesome! I can’t wait to try this one…
Hi! The first time I made tofu was in a stir-fry. It’s an easy way to ease your way into tofu. Just a hint, I always buy the extra firm tofu and I wrap it in a couple of clean cheese clothes and set it in a flat bottomed bowl. Then I set a couple of phone books on top of it to press all the excess water out of it. It will really help on the texture!
Kara K
So exciting that you’re trying so many new things the last couple of weeks!
Yum!! That looks great! I love the way tofu tastes but it always upsets my stomach:( Not really sure why tho, the same thing with soy milk
That brownie looks awesome!
Personally, i’ve only prepared tofu once, but my husband uses it pretty frequently and we’ve found a few tips that rarely fail us.
1. Press the tofu before marinading it – slice your tofu, wrap it in a paper towel, place it on a plate, put another plate on top of the tofu, and finish with a can of soup or beans or tomatoes (you get the idea) on top for about 10 minutes or so (while chopping and prepping any other ingredients). This presses the moisture out of the tofu so it can better soak up any marinade. When in a hurry, my husband will just wrap the tofu in a paper towel, place on a plate, and press gently with his hand to get some of the juice out.
2. Marinade! For those who don’t love the taste of tofu, a marinade makes all the difference. You can either make your own, or (as my husband does when in a rush), use your favorite salad dressing. *Note, soy sauce on its own does not make a good marinade – your tofu will end up super salty!* And marinade for 10-20 minutes.
Those are my tofu tips. Hope someone will find them helpful!
Okay, if you like regular tofu then you gotta try tofu crumbles! Smart ground makes them best and if you add taco seasoning and a little onion you can make yummy healthy tacos that taste like ground beef. The first time I made it my husband had no clue it was tofu! Also, give tofu bacon a try you will be pleasantly surprised.
Glad you had a great trip in NYC. I’m looking forward to seeing the results. I have a question for you though….When do you usually go to bed in the evenings? I notice you get up super early to workout and such sometimes and I wish I could do that. I’m not really a night person or a morning person. I’m not really sure what I am. I have a baby and I try to workout when I can but it would be easier if I could do it in the morning before she wakes up…any suggestions?
Thanks
That stir fry looks amazing!
wow that looks DELICIOUS! The brownie AND the tofu! I’ve only ever liked smoked tofu – I tried normal once and hated it, but that was aaggges ago and I didn’t actually do anything to it, so no wonder! After reading this though, I’ tempted to dig some out and try again
PLEASE RELEASE A COOKERY BOOK!!
I am totally scared of tofu. But you made it look so easy and so good.
Tofu is super scary. But I have some in my fridge I’m thinking of trying tomorrow. Your recipe looks great.
Tofu is great! I used to be wary of all things soy, but I love it now! It’s great how tofu’s flavor and texture can be used for almost anything.
I have been reading (and a big fan of) your blog and it’s awesome!
Tofu is great and your recipe looks amazing! I like to saute it in chunks with a little olive oil, lemon juice, and cilantro (salt and pepper of course) and then reduce the sauce. It is phenomenal with some brown rice. (okay, clearly not a recipe, just a thought!)
Yum! Tofu is probably my favorite food, so I am always in the market for a new tofu recipe! My favorite ways to prepare it are scrambled tofu and cashew-ginger tofu.
I like tofu. Especially enjoy making salad rolls with peanut/coconut milk dipping sauce! Just printed off your recipe!
Wow! That dinner looks sooo yummy!!
I do love tofu–but I have never tried to prepare it, not being much of a cook myself. I always buy the Teriyaki Tofu at Trader Joe’s so it is already flavored & prepared in advance.
[...] this weekend, I decided to try one of her recipes. I LOVE tofu and thai food, and when I saw this Sesame-Peanut Tofu Pasta, I was intrigued. I cooked it for dinner on Saturday night, and oh my goodness, it was AMAZING. [...]
Try Tofu Yu soy pasta made in Berkeley. Excellent!
One more thing – it isn’t actually “baked”, is it? You boiled the pasta, right?