Zoodles are kind of everywhere now, aren’t they? I definitely think that my friend Kat and I were pioneers with zoodles (which we call zucchini noodles, like any reasonable adult should). I remember us in my tiny studio apartment on the UWS years ago, both with vegetable peelers in our hands, getting as much zucchini noodle goodness as we could out of each vegetable. Most of the time we just topped these with tomato sauce and parmesan and called it a day.
As I’ve been trying to incorporate more protein into my diet so I can become strong(!), I thought it might be nice to start using my zucchini noodles for an asian-inspired dish with tofu. I don’t have a noodle-izer or whatever it’s called, and still use a vegetable peeler to create broad, flat noodles. Sorry if that’s not as fun to you, but you could use your noodle-izer if you’d like for this recipe.
This one is real easy. You can add more ingredients to make a more official asian dressing, but I really find that the mix of soy sauce and toasted sesame oil is enough flavor for me.
Healthy-ish Zucchini Noodles with Tofu (for two enthusiastic eaters)
4 zucchinis
1 carrot
2 scallions, thinly sliced
16 medium cubes of tofu (or really – however much tofu you want)
Coconut oil spray
1 lime
Toasted sesame oil
Low sodium soy sauce
Roasted cashew nuts
Pre-heat oven to 400F.
Generously spray a baking sheet with the coconut oil and place the tofu cubes on it spaced evenly apart. Spray the tops of the tofu, too, and season with salt and pepper. Pop this into the oven for 40 minutes, flipping the tofu at the half-way mark. You can also fry on a stove top, but I find the oven method less hands-on, allowing me to complete the other steps and clean dishes (and pour wine!) prior to removing the tofu from the oven.
Use your veggie peeler to create as many long, thin bands of both the zucchinis and the carrot as possible. Combine with scallions in large bowl. Mix in juice from the lime and set aside.
When tofu is done, add to veggies with the cashews, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Enjoy!
