Green (and Red and Black) Curry

I recently discovered black soybean tofu and black rice noodles. The tofu is starting to pop up in health food stores and the noodles came from an Asian market. They both cook up a little on the gray side, so this time I brightened them up with some colorful veggies and drowned them in green curry sauce. This version is gluten-free, but other noodles, such as soba, and regular soy sauce can be substituted for the black rice noodles and tamari.

Green (and Red and Black) Curry

1 lb black soybean tofu
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups broccoli, chopped (12oz)
1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas
1 can coconut milk
2 Tbsp green curry paste
1 Tbsp gluten-free tamari
1/2 cup peanut or almond butter
3 bundles black rice noodles - about 8oz

Cook rice noodles according to package directions.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, curry paste, tamari, and peanut or almond butter.

Heat coconut oil in a wok or large saute pan. Cut tofu into small cubes or batonnets. Saute until sides begin to brown, then add broccoli, pepper, and snap peas. Saute until vegetables are vibrant and begin to soften.

Stir in the cooked rice noodles and the curry sauce. Garnish with unsweetened coconut and basil. Serves about 4.

Breakfast Stir Fry

Caring for a toddler and a preschooler doesn't leave me much time for a breakfast that doesn't involve bread, so I'm always looking for something that is quick, high protein, filling, and healthful. It also helps if it tastes good.

I used Tofurky Italian Sausage for this stir fry, but you can also use a different product or use beans and Italian herbs instead. The Tofurky sausage has 29g of protein, 8g of fiber, and 15% daily value of iron, so it's not a bad thing to occasionally add into your diet if you're trying to up your protein consumption and have no problems with soy or wheat.

Broiled Grapefruit is a nice complement to this dish.

Breakfast Stir Fry

1 Tofurky Italian Sausage, cut into 1/4" slices (or other type of faux sausage)
1 tsp coconut oil
3 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup sugar snap peas
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup baby spinach
pepper to taste

Heat oil in a saute pan or skillet. Add meatless sausage and saute until it begins to brown. Add sliced mushrooms, snap peas, and garlic, and stir fry until the peas are bright green and the mushrooms begin to soften. Mix in the baby spinach and stir fry for another minute, or until spinach begins to wilt. Remove from heat and pepper to taste.

Serves 1

Variation: If you're not into fake meats, substitute 1/2 cup cooked beans of your choice for the meatless sausage. Mix in 1/4 tsp Italian herbs and add to the stir fry after the mushrooms and snap peas.