The Vegangeek! (sobabunapi)

Orange Ginger Tofu, Soba Noodles, and Bunapi Mushrooms

okay, so really any mushroom would work in this recipe. I was trying to broaden my mind a bit and found bunapi mushrooms at a local market. They are very much like enoki mushrooms, and are in fact from the same family. Use what ever you've got on hand.

One handful of buckwheat soba noodles
One big handful of mushrooms (chopped, if really large)
Some firm tofu, cubed
Half a head of nappa cabbage, sliced into strips
1 fresh orange
1 quarter cup of tamari soy sauce
1 small knob of ginger, grated
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 spring onion, sliced

There is a bit of prep work. Cube the tofu, and wrap it in paper towel. Put a heavy weight on it, and let it sit for an hour or so, in order to squeeze out a lot of the water. Tofu is a sponge that will soak up the marinade, but only if it's fairly dry.

While the tofu is doing what it's doing, make the marinade. Combine the soy sauce, the zest from the orange (just the orange part, no pith!), and the juice from the orange, along with the garlic and the ginger. Mix well. Slice the cabbage into strips, and wash your mushrooms. I had to snip the tips off the bunapi mushrooms, and clean them. And yes, washing mushrooms is okay. It's a myth that they get slimy and absorb water. Dirt is the worse of the two options here.

Once the tofu is sufficiently drained, put it in the marinade. Let it sit for a half hour or so. If it's not completely covered, stir it occasionally.

Once the tofu has absorbed a lot of the marinade, take it out and keep the marinade.

Add a bit of oil to the skillet, and a gallon of unsalted water to the pot. Normally, I salt pasta water but there is a lot of salt in the marinade, due to the soy sauce. Bring the pot to a boil and the skillet to medium high heat.

Add all of the veggies to the skillet, and sautee until the cabbage is beginning to soften. At this point, add the tofu and a bit of the marinade. Add the pasta to the water.

Cook the pasta until it is mostly soft, but still has a bit of a crunch. Drain it, and add the pasta to the skillet, with the veggies. Continue to cook until the pasta is al dente, and then turn out into a bowl and garnish with the chopped green onion.

You can probably experiment with different sauces and marinades. A peanut satay sauce would be nice, maybe garnished with whole peanuts. You'd be treading into pad thai territory there. Maybe that's for next time.