Tempeh Asian Noodles

This is a dish that never turns out the same way twice.  It might be close to previous incarnations of the dish, but it isn't ever quite the same, which actually is part of what makes it so much fun. (And don't worry, these noodles won't require a trip to the Asian grocery store, although if you're looking for an excuse to check one out...) These amorphous Asian noodles always start out the same, but that's generally where the similarities between versions ends. The basic structure for the sauce is 1/2 cup low(er) sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup mirin (sweet rice wine) and 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar. After that, the dish changes based on my mood what's sitting in the fridge at the moment. Sometimes I have an English cucumber and scallions so it ends up more peanutty. And other times I have edamame, tofu and ginger so it is a more savory, spicy dish.  Recently I only had an onion, these carrots and tempeh, so I relied more heavily on the white miso, which complimented the sweetness of the carrots and brought out the umami of the tempeh.

Aren't these the coolest carrots?  

I can't imagine why the yellow and purple carrots ever went out of style.

Tempeh Asian Noodles

10 ounces dried Chinese egg noodles
6 medium sized carrots, peeled
1/2 large sweet onion
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp white miso paste
1 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp plum sauce
1 1/2 tsp siracha 
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil

Put a pot of water on to boil, once it is boiling salt it generously.  Dice the onions and saute them over medium heat in the olive oil.  While the onions are softening cut the tempeh into bite sized pieces and throw it into the pan with the onions.  Then slice the carrots into disks and add them, as they are cut to the pan with the tempeh and onions.

While the tempeh and vegetables are cooking, you can mix up the sauce.  Start with the soy sauce, the mirin and the rice wine vinegar and then wisk in the ingredients I've listed above.  This is really a "to taste" dish (as I mentioned above) so go slowly and taste often, adding more of certain ingredients as you like.  Have some fun with it.

At the last minute (well, actually in the last three minutes) put the noodles on to cook.  Keep an eye on the carrots if, like me, you are someone that doens't like them to get too soft and sweet, pulling them off the heat just after they soften. When the noodles are cooked, drain them and put them back into the pasta pan.  Pour the sauce onto the noodles (depending on how thick you made your sauce, you might have extra, so pour some, toss, and then add more as needed).  Then add the tempeh and the vegetables.  Bon Appetit!


Serves 4 - 6

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