Pad Thai with Sriracha Peanut Tofu

For a couple of weeks, I've had an idea for putting some kind of spicy crust on tofu, so it fits my taste buds a little better than a plain baked or fried slab.  I'm a big fan of Thai Peanut Sauce and I like Sriracha in small doses, so as to not overpower the other flavors in the dish.  This version of Pad Thai is not authentic, nor is it like any other version I've eaten (and I've eaten a lot) before.  Due to my diet restrictions, I'm advised not to eat peanuts in crunchy form, so this version has no crushed peanuts.  You are free to add them, along with the cabbage and bean sprouts that are traditional.  I chose to go with bok choy instead, because it was in the refrigerator.  Since this is not an authentic regional cuisine blog, I'm not afraid to substitute vegetables.  It's better to use items when they are fresh, rather than being a rigid recipe follower, within reason. You don't want to substitute pork rinds for rice noodles or anything crazy. 

First, slice the tofu into 1/2" rectangles and place clean kitchen towels beneath and on top of the slices, top with a flat pan that covers all slices and add can goods or something with a some weight to it so it presses the liquid out of the slices.  There's plenty of YouTube videos to show this process.  I let mine press for about 30 minutes while I prepared the remaining components.  The pressed slices should be dry to the touch.  While you wait for the pressing, chop 1 bok choy, 3 cloves garlic, 6 green onions, shred 1 carrot and cut a lime in half. See picture below for the finished prep.  I used Whole Foods tofu, but I found that Costco carries tofu in a 4 block case for just a little more than the single block at Whole Foods.

Next, soak the rice noodles in hot tap water.  Make sure to use a big enough pan so the noodles are covered.  I used a bread pan for this bag and it was perfect.  Do not use boiling water, as it will make the noodles mushy.  Keep in mind that you will be finishing these in the pan, which will finish cooking them.  I have tried almost every variety of rice noodles in the market and basically, they are identical in every way but price.  Stick to the long noodles in a basic bag.  There are varieties out there that are perfect 8" length and put in a thick paper box, but they are up to 4 times as expensive.

Next, in a metal or glass bowl, add 1/2 cup peanut butter, 2 Tbl Sriracha, 1 tsp garlic chili sauce and 2 Tbl of Frank's Sweet Chili sauce.  As you mix this, it will become a very firm paste.  You will need to add hot water to smooth it to a consistency of a buttercream frosting. If you taste it (and you should), it should be rather spicy, as it is going on tofu, which has little flavor.  Think of it like how salad dressing is very strong if eaten plain, but it mellows on the lettuce.  Next, spread this mix on your pressed tofu slices.  Make sure you cover the entire piece so that it gets a good crust.  I spread mine on with the back of a small spoon.

Place the coated tofu slices on a foil lined pan. Put a thin coat of oil or Pam on the foil to prevent the tofu from sticking.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, rotating the pan after 10 minutes. I used the convection feature on my oven, but if you don't have that option, you may need to bake it a little longer.

While your tofu is being pressed, you prepared the bok choi, garlic, green onion, carrots and lime.  Heat a wok or a large pan on high heat with 2 Tbl vegetable or canola oil.  When it's really hot, but not smoking, add the bok choy and the white parts of the green onion.  After 30 seconds, add the garlic.  Stir continuously and add the carrots and green onion and cook for 1 minute.

Next, add the drained rice noodles and the packaged Pad Thai sauce.  I used Blue Dragon brand and I liked it.  There are many recipes for this sauce if you prefer to make it from scratch.  Add the juice from half a lime. Use tongs to toss until combined. Remove from the heat.  I should note that there are many brands of prepared sauces and a lot of them have a ton of sugar in them.  Check the labels or use the Fooducate app on your smart phone.

By now, your tofu should be ready and looking like this.  Use a spatula when removing it from the pan to avoid having the topping crack and fall off.  When eating the final dish, I had some of the crispy bits fall off and they added a nice little crispiness to the noodles.  I think the tofu prepared this way would go great over fried rice or even plain steamed rice with some chopped cliantro and lime.

Here is the final dish.  Pad Thai with Sriracha Peanut Tofu.

I hope you try this dish.  I made it for the first time for this posting, but I know I will make this many more times.  I put 2 pieces of tofu on my dish, but I could've gotten away with just one.  I was pretty full after eating all this.  My Fitness Pal with only 1 piece of tofu shows the final dish with 290 calories, 26g carbs, 16g fat, 13g protein and 8g sugar.