Teriyaki Tofu Bowls

Picking up from where we left off last time, the end of the 10 week grad school marathon of this summer is in sight.  With a few days left to go, it's time for part 2 of our series on portable/no reheating/minimal refrigeration dinners.  Rice noodles, crisp veggies, and succulent tofu bites in teriyaki sauce fit the bill perfectly.

Ingredients
(Recipe adapted from Veggie Belly)
Yield: 3 servings

• Tofu and Teriyaki Sauce:
• 16 oz extra firm tofu
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ginger
• Rice Noodles
• 3 oz rice noodles
• ½ cup carrots
• ½ cup cucumber
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes 

Method

Drain tofu and cut into 1" slices.

 Half the slices.

Cover the tofu slices with a triple layer of paper towels on each side.

Place a cutting board on top and weigh the tofu down with whatever assorted canned goods you may have on hand.  The goal is not to smush the tofu, just to add a little weight to drain it.  Walk away for about 20 minutes, during which time the tofu will get try and the paper towels will get wet.

This is the first year I planted cucumbers and it will not be the last.  Garden fresh is the way to go.

Slice the carrot and cucumber into thin slices.

Pan fry the tofu.  Heat a layer of oil (not much, maybe 2 tablespoons?) on medium until the skillet gets fairly hot.  Fry for a few minutes on both sides until brown and crispy.  Work in batches according to your skillet size, topping off the oil as needed.

Place on paper towels to drain.

Meanwhile, assemble the sauce ingredients.

Heat the sauce to boiling and let simmer for a few minutes.  Remove from heat.

Place the tofu in a small bowl and pour in the sauce.

Add the rice noodles to hot water and let sit for a minute or two until they soften.

Drain them.

Toss in the sesame oil, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes.

Assemble the bowls.  There will be a lot of teriyaki sauce left over.  Add a few spoonfuls to each dish and discard the rest.

And sit back and enjoy the zen.