Tag: Side Dish

Noodles with Tofu, Cucumber, and Chili Crisp

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I know I’m basic but I cannot get enough of chili crisp. I slather it on everything these days — eggs, avocado toast, soup, and my favorite addition: noodles. Adapted from Bon Appetit, these ramen noodles have all of my favorite additions: crispy-chewy tofu and shiitakes, nutty tahini, lots of garlic, and a generous drizzle of chili crisp, ofc.

Saucy tofu noodles with cucumbers and chili crisp
Ingredients:
  • 1/4 soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dark sugar
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons black (Chinkiang) vinegar or balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon chili crisp, plus more for serving
  • 4 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
  • 1 14-ounce block extra firm tofu, drained
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 4 teaspoons avocado oil, divided
  • 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 10 ounces fresh ramen noodles or similar
  1. Whisk soy sauce, brown sugar, tahini, sesame oil, black vinegar, 1 tablespoon chili crisp, and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
  2. Mix cucumbers, rice vinegar, and salt in a medium bowl to coat. Let sit, mixing once or twice, until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain and set pickled cucumbers aside.
  3. Wrap tofu in a clean thin kitchen towel or cheesecloth. Gather ends of towel together and squeeze with your hands over sink to extract as much liquid as possible. (It’s fine if the tofu breaks apart.)
  4. Crumble tofu into a medium bowl (it should look like ground meat with some larger pieces). Sprinkle with cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss with your hands to evenly coat tofu.
  5. Heat 2 teaspoons avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Arrange tofu crumbles in a single layer in pan; reserve bowl. Cook tofu, undisturbed, until golden brown underneath, about 5 minutes. Toss and continue cooking, tossing occasionally, until tofu is golden brown and crisp all over, about 4 minutes more. Transfer tofu to reserved bowl.
  6. Add remaining 2 teaspoons avocado oil to same skillet and reduce heat to medium-high. Add mushrooms and shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are browned and shallot is translucent, about 5 minutes; season with salt. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Return tofu to pan and add reserved sauce; bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce is slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
  7. Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain and place in a large serving bowl. Ladle saucy tofu over noodles and top with reserved pickled cucumbers and more chili crisp.

Tofu and Corn Rice

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Have a rice cooker? This easy summer dish couldn’t possibly be easier. Adapted from Donabe, a little bit of quinoa adds extra nutrition to this sweet and savory side.

Tofu and corn rice
Ingredients:
  • 2 rice cups jasmine rice, rinsed
  • 1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 3/4 cups water
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sake
  • 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 7 ounces firm tofu, drained and pressed
  • Kernels from 1 ear of corn
  • 1/2 cup rehydrated wood ear mushrooms, sliced into small pieces
  1. Place the rice, quinoa, and water in a rice cooker and cook according to rice cooker instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, make the sauce: in a small bowl, combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sake, chicken bouillon, salt, and pepper, and set aside.
  3. Heat the sesame oil in a saute pan and saute the garlic for 1 minute over medium heat. Crumble the tofu into small pieces and add to the pan. Stir, continuing to break up the tofu with a wooden spoon and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the tofu is lightly browned. Add the corn and wood ear mushrooms and saute for 3 more minutes, until cooked through.
  4. Add the sauce to the pan and turn the heat to medium-high. Saute until the liquid is almost absorbed, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  5. Once the rice has finished cooking, uncover and gently fold in the corn and tofu mixture. Serve warm.

Sesame Noodles with Cucumber and Nori

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I’m always finding ways to sneak in nori into my meals. Avocado toast? Sprinkle some nori. Dumpling soup? Stir in some nori. Summery noodles? Nori, of course.

Cold sesame noodles with cucumber and nori
Ingredients:
  • 4 packages dried ramen (about 12 ounces total)
  • 4 Persian cucumbers
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup dried nori seaweed, torn into small 1-inch pieces
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  1. Slice cucumbers into thin rounds, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then drain and gently squeeze out water.
  2. Soak nori in cold water until reconstituted, about 5 minutes, then drain. Gently combine the cucumber and nori in a medium bowl and set aside.
  3. Boil noodles according to package directions until al dente. In a colander, drain and rinse under cold water. Gently toss noodles with sesame oil to prevent them from sticking.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar to achieve the consistency of a creamy salad dressing. If it’s too thick, whisk in a few tablespoons of water.
  5. To serve, place the noodles in a large serving bowl and top with the cucumber nori mixture, green onions, roasted sesame seeds, lemon zest, and a drizzle of sesame oil. Gently mix and serve.

Yuzu Kosho Pesto Rice

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This is a simple dish, but it’s much greater than the sum of its parts. I love anything with pesto, but would have never thought to add spicy, citrusy yuzu kosho to it. Adapted from Donabe, I usually serve this with good-quality tinned sardines.

Yuzu kosho pesto rice

Ingredients:

  • 2 rice cups (1 1/2 cups) short-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 cups basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon yuzu kosho
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  1. Cook the rice in a rice cooker according to directions.
  2. Meanwhile, make the pesto: in a small saucepan, toast the pine nuts over medium-low heat, stirring and watching carefully until pine nuts are lightly golden, about five minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. In a food processor, combine 1 tablespoon of the pine nuts with the garlic, basil, olive oil, yuzu kosho, soy sauce, and lemon juice.
  3. Once the rice has finished cooking, uncover and add the pesto, the remaining pine nuts, and the Parmesan cheese. Gently mix to combine and serve.

Classic Spring Rolls

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These are my OG, been-making-them-since-I-was-thirteen, classic spring rolls. Adapted from the legend himself (Martin Yan, obv), this is the spring roll recipe I still find myself going back to. They’re a bit of work but oh-so-worth it. I recommend Menlo brand spring roll wrappers for the crunchiest exterior.

Classic spring rolls
Ingredients:

Filling:

  • 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 4 ounces dried bean thread noodles
  • 1 carrot, shredded
  • 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • 3/4 pound boneless chicken

Marinade:

  • 2 tablespoons chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 20 spring roll wrappers
  • Avocado oil for shallow-frying
  1. Soak mushrooms in warm water to cover until softened, about 15 minutes; drain. Trim stems and thinly slice caps. Soak bean threads in warm water to cover until softened, about 15 minutes; drain. Cut bean thread noodles into 4-inch lengths. Combine mushrooms and bean thread noodles in a large bowl and add remaining filling ingredients; mix well.
  2. Cut chicken into thin slices, about 2 inches long. Combine marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add chicken and stir to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes.
  3. Place a wok over high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil, swirling to coat sides. Add chicken and stir-fry for about 5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the chicken mixture and add to the bowl with the filling and mix.
  4. To make each spring roll, place a wrapper on work surface with one side facing you. Place 3 tablespoons filling in a band along base of wrapper. Fold bottom over filling, then fold in left and right sides. Tightly roll up to completely enclose filling.
  5. Heat oil (enough to be 1-inch deep) in a wok or frying pan to medium-high. Shallow-fry spring rolls, a few at a time, and cook, turning carefully occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.