green schmuey

My dad used to make us something he called "schmuey", which doesn't resemble my recipe in anyway. I vaguely remember the stuff, but it was usually something you could eat with either a fork or a spoon, which is maybe why I think of this dish as "shmuey". Anyway, I somewhat followed a recipe in "How it all Vegan", by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer, a cook book I love. Here it goes:

2 tsp safflower oil (that's my oil of choice these days, but any high heat oil is fine)

1/4 large red onion, roughly diced

4 stalks celery, sliced

6 oz ish of tofu, cubed

1/2 green bell pepper, roughly chopped

1 head broccoli, chopped, separate stems from heads (hint, use more of the stalk than usual)

1 1/2 cup spinach , torn

3 stalks kale, chopped

4-5 0z cooked wide rice noodles*

sauce:

2 tbs miso paste ( I used red)

3 tbs soy sauce or tamari

2 tbs water

1 tbs vice vinegar

1 tbs sesame oil

2 tbs ginger (minced or grated)

garnish:

green onions

toasted sesame seeds (toast in an oven safe dish in a toaster oven, or dry roast in a frying pan)

Heat a cast iron pan (really they are the best, get one, it will change your life), over medium high, add the celery, onions and tofu. Stir fry until the tofu begins to golden, 10 minutes or so. Add the bell pepper and broccoli stems, stir fry for 7 minutes. Add the broccoli heads, 3 minutes. Add spinach and kale and stir fry 'til they soften and mix in. Reduce heat. Whisk all the sauce ingredients together and pour over the vegetables. Add the rice noodles and stir until all noodles are covered. Top with green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

*These are your basic asian rice noodles, I find them at New Moon or Reno Asian Supermarket. They should also be available at Whole Foods or any health food store. I cook them for about 7 minutes, make sure to stir once in awhile, or they will stick. Drain and rinse. Set aside until needed. Also, these noodles stay in the refrigerator so if you see yourself using them again in the next 5 days, make a bunch.