By Sheri
ZUCCHINI NEVER TASTED SO GOOD!
Once in a while I enjoy making a pasta dish with tofu rather than meat, fish or poultry. Tofu can be extremely versatile since it absorbs whatever flavors you’re using. It’s great in Asian-themed dishes with soy sauce such as Lo Mein. I prefer the extra-firm tofu, but firm could be used if you can’t find that.
Since zucchini is typically so plentiful in the summer, it’s a great choice for Lo Mein. You can use basically any type of veggies, but a good mixture is essential as the dish has tofu only and no meat. Tofu can be delicious if you pan fry it oil in a single layer and let it turn golden brown for some crunch appeal.
I like to pick a cooler summer night to make this Lo Mein dish, but you can also make it early in the day, refrigerate it and reheat by tossing in a hot frying pan before serving. If you’re trying to curb your salt intake, like me, use reduced sodium soy sauce.
SUMMER VEGETARIAN LO MEIN
about 2 Tablespoons cooking oil
13 – 14 oz pkg. drained tofu – extra-firm or firm
cut into ½ inch cubes, then lightly pressed between
paper towels to squeeze out extra moisture
8 – 9 oz pkg. linguine – fresh preferably, or dried
2 – 3 cloves garlic – minced
1 medium bell pepper any color – sliced thinly
1 large zucchini – sliced into semi-circles about ¼ inch thick
2 stalks celery – cut Julienne into thin sticks
2 large carrots – cut Julienne into thin sticks
¼ soy sauce – regular or reduced sodium
½ tsp sesame oil
pepper to taste
1.Boil linguine until tender.
2.Heat half the oil in a frying pan and saute the drained tofu cubes in single layers until golden-brown. Remove from hat.
3.Heat the remaining cooking oil. Add the vegetables and stir fry a few minutes until tender-crisp. Add the tofu and cooked linguine in about the last minute or so of cooking time to reheat.
4.Remove pan from heat. Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Top with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper.