Sesame Noodles and Fried Tofu with Soy-Ginger Dipping Sauce

Tonight we had an Asian inspired dinner of Sesame Noodles and Fried Tofu with a Soy-Ginger dipping sauce. This meal came together so quickly, and it was so beautiful and delicious. The flavor of the noodles was just fabulous. And, to my surprise, the tofu turned out perfect. Slightly crispy on the outside, yet still soft and moist on the inside. I love tofu, and unfortunately because of Stella's possible soy allergy we haven't been able to eat it very often (news about that to follow the recipes).

Asian Sesame Noodles

1 lb angel hair pasta

1/4 cup tamari soy sauce

2 Tbs tahini

1 Tbs toasted sesame oil

2 cloves garlic minced

1 Tbs fresh ginger, peeled and minced

one handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

a few dashes of cayenne pepper

one bunch of scallions, sliced on a diagonal (white and light green parts only)

1 large carrot shredded

Start water to boil, and cook pasta. While pasta is cooking, in a large bowl combine all ingredients except scallions and carrot. Whisk together until smooth. When pasta is cooked, drain and rinse in cold water. Drain cold pasta well, toss with scallions and carrot, pour dressing over and combine until noodles are well coated.

For the tofu, I used one block of extra firm tofu that had been pressed and drained. I sliced it in 3 slices, horizontally, then cut each into a diagonal. I fried it in a hot, non-stick skillet, coated with just a touch of sesame oil. Fry each side until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Do not mess with tofu while it is frying, just put it in the skillet, and leave it until it is time to turn. For the sauce, I just combined a little chopped fresh ginger, some crushed chili pepper flakes, a little chopped cilantro, and some tamari.

And finally, we have some *cross our fingers* hopefully good news on the allergy front. We did a food challenge with Stella for soy this weekend. She didn't seem to have any adverse reactions to drinking a whole cup of soy milk. That's a very good sign that there is no soy allergy. However, we will need to reintroduce soy back into her diet slowly, and watch her for reactions. With any luck we will be able to eat soy without caution. It sounds crazy, but I feel like there is a whole world of recipes out there that I'll finally be able to utilize. Please keep your fingers crossed that she continues not to react. Our next test will be some Follow Your Heart Mozzarella on a pizza later this week.