Get Healthy : EatingWell : Sesame-Crusted Tofu with Soba Noodles : Food Network

	Print 4x6 Recipe Cards
	Print this recipe out and cut along the dotted lines to add this 4x6 recipe card to your personal collection.

Sesame-Crusted Tofu with Soba Noodles
Recipe courtesy EatingWell.com

Ingredients
Dressing:
2 tablespoons rice wine or sake
1 1/2 tablespoons prepared black bean sauce
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon water

Tofu & soba:
1 14- to 16-ounce package extra-firm regular tofu
1/4 cup rice wine or sake
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
8 ounces soba noodles
4 cups trimmed watercress, loosely packed
1 cup thinly sliced scallions

2 tablespoons Chinese fermented black beans, rinsed (optional)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions
To prepare dressing: Combine rice wine (or sake), black bean sauce, soy
sauce, sugar and water in a small bowl; stir until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

To prepare tofu & soba: Cut tofu into 8 pieces the size of a playing card.

Combine rice wine (or sake), soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a shallow dish just large enough
to hold tofu in a single layer. Add tofu; cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes,
turning once.

Meanwhile, cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and
rinse under cold running water. Place in a large bowl. Remove tofu from marinade and pat dry. Mix
any marinade not absorbed by tofu into the reserved dressing and add to the noodles along with
watercress, scallions and fermented black beans, if using; toss to combine. Set aside.

Spread sesame seeds on a small plate. Dip tofu into sesame seeds to coat one side. Heat remaining 1
teaspoon sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook tofu, sesame-seed-side down
(in batches, if necessary), until golden, about 1 minute. Turn and cook the other side until golden,
1 to 2 minutes more.

Divide the noodles among 4 plates and arrange sesame-crusted tofu on top. Serve immediately.

Note: Black bean-garlic sauce, a savory, salty sauce used in Chinese cooking, is made from fermented
black soybeans, garlic and rice wine. It can be found in the Asian section of large supermarkets or
at Asian markets. Use it in stir-fries and marinades for beef, chicken or tofu. Sake is a dry rice
wine generally available where wines are sold. Junmai, a special designation for sake, denotes sake
brewed from rice that has been milled less than other special-designation sakes. More pure than
other sakes, junmai has no distilled alcohol added. It is characterized by a well-rounded, rich
flavor and body and more acidity than most sakes. Fermented black beans, which are preserved in salt
and flavored with ginger, are frequently used in Chinese stir-fries, marinades and sauces. Before
using, soak them in water for 10-30 minutes to get rid of excess salt. When purchasing fermented
black beans, look for shiny, firm beans, rather than ones that are dull and dry with salt spots.
Look for them in Asian markets and natural-foods stores. Once open, store tightly wrapped in the

refrigerator for up to 1 year.