Vegetarian Sesame Udon Noodles

This next vegetarian dish I found over on Allrecipes.com and it has quickly become one of our favorites. In fact, I'm getting hungry just writing about it!

I've modified this one a bit to make it more like a stir-fry, but you can also follow the original and cook it in the microwave!

Ingredients

The Sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root (make sure you add this, it makes the dish!)
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup peanut oil
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 dash hot pepper sauce (I add red pepper flakes to give it a little more heat too)

2 Tbls Olive Oil
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
2 cups diagonally sliced snap peas
2 cups rough chopped kale
1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 block firm tofu cubed

4 green onions, minced
2 Tbls fresh basil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (use toaster oven or dry frying pan to toast the seeds)
1 (7 ounce) package fresh udon noodles

Directions

In a jar with a tight fitting lid (I use a salad dressing container), combine the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, peanut oil, sesame oil and hot pepper sauce or flakes. Close the lid, and shake vigorously to blend. Set aside to let the flavors blend.

 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add udon noodles and follow package directions to cook until tender. Drain, and set aside for later.

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Add peppers and onion and sautee for about 2 minutes over medium heat. Add in peas, kale, mushrooms and tofu and stir fry until veggies are cooked.

 

 
Add drained noodles to the pan and pour sauce over entire dish. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and gently toss all ingredients together using tongs. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes to allow noodles to soak in some of the flavor.

 

Serve in a deep bowl with chop sticks and top with sliced green onion and fresh basil.

(Not into the vegetarian thing? Try adding chunks of Asian inspired, grilled salmon (with a sweet and spicy glaze), as an alternate source of protein.)