Improvised Udon Noodle Stir-Fry with Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce

There’s only so much studying one girl can do, and after a week of non-stop studying, paper writing and very little time in the kitchen I decided to show my pots and pans some love today and make myself a real dinner that took more than 10 minutes to make.

I looked around the kitchen and found a pack of udon noodles I’d been meaning to use for probably a year now (thank God for the long expiration date), picked up a bottle of pre-made Thai peanut sauce by San-J, pulled out some veggies and some tofu and the process began. Unfortunately, this was all improvised so there’s no set recipe but this is how I made it.

You’ll need:
8 ounces of udon noodles
2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
Frozen peas (I didn’t measure but I think I used about ¾ cup or so)
½ red onion, thinly sliced
About ½ bell pepper, cut into thin strips (I used frozen, pre-sliced tri-colored bell peppers)
Canola oil
Red pepper flakes
Agave nectar or maple syrup
Arrowroot
1 block of firm tofu, cut into 2 inch strips
Flour for coating
Deep Fryer

First off you need to start boiling those udon noodles. Cook for about 6 minutes and then add carrots and peas to the water and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Drain and rinse the noodles and veggies and set aside.

While noodles are boiling, place about ½ cup of flour in a plastic bag, add tofu strips and toss to coat. Fry until golden, remove from oil and place on a paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess oil.

Warm oil in a large wok (I used about 2 tablespoons of canola oil) and add thinly sliced onion and bell pepper along with red pepper flakes if you would like a spicy sauce. Cook for about 4-5 minutes or until onions are tender. Add noodle/veggie mix and toss to distribute veggies.

Pour ¾ bottle of San-J Thai Peanut sauce over noodle mix and toss to coat. Add maple syrup or agave nectar to taste (for a sweet and spicy sauce) – I only added about 1-2 teaspoons. Sprinkle approximately 1-2 teaspoons or arrowroot over noodle mixture and toss to combine. Cook until sauce has thickened. Divide noodles among serving plates straight from the wok.

Now, take that fried tofu and add it to the wok. Pour the remaining ¼ bottle of San-J Thai peanut sauce over tofu and toss to coat. Top noodles with tofu and voilà. You’ve got yourself a great dinner.

The whole process still didn’t take me more than about 20 minutes from start to finish including chopping time and I am stuffed!