Friday, May 11, 2012

Under $5 asian dinner: peanut noodles, sesame zucchini, & teriyaki tofu

Here are some recipes of some very easy, simple entrees for a collective "asian style" dinner at home.

Peanut Sauce Ramen Noodles
Ingredients:
1/3 cup Almond or Peanut Butter
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp jelly (pineapple, apple, or jalapeno will work)
1/4 tsp ginger powder
4 Tbsp soy milk (any milk will work too)

Stir together with a whisk and voila. Pour over three packets of ramen and throw away the seasoning packet it comes with.

Sesame Zucchini
Ingredients:
1 huge zucchini or 2 smaller ones
1/4 cup sesame dressing
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp garlic salt

I will admit it. I cheated. I love making my own sauces and I could've if I put my mind to it, but I had some leftover sesame asian salad dressing. So what did I do? I chopped a HUGEmongous zucchini fresh from our local farmer's market. To chop like this, I cut thick one inch circles and then cut them into four quarters each. I topped them with the dressing and threw on some extra sesame seeds, sprinkled with ginger powder, and garlic salt, and called it my own.

Baked Teriyaki Tofu (adapted from http://kosherfood.about.com/od/vegetarianmaindishes/r/tofu_teri.htm )
1 package firm tofu
drizzle of oil
2 Tbsp of your favorite packaged teriyaki sauce (tip: I bought the new Kraft sizzling salads set for $2 that comes with a small bottle of teriyaki and a small bottle of sesame dressing)
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Press water out of firm tofu. This is quite a challenge, I've made a few awful batches of tofu before because of forgetting this step - too little and too watery, too much and it all squishes. So I read online a trick tonight. Wrap tofu in paper towels, then in a dish towel. Place under a cutting board and top the cutting board with heavy items like a few cans. Wait 10 minutes. Done.
3. Slice in 1/4 inch pieces, into about 6 slices or tofu steaks.
4. Line the pan with parchment paper.
5. Coat with oil and then purchased teriyaki sauce. Sprinkle with garlic powder. I know, cheating once again. I promise soon to make a real teriyaki sauce from scratch. It never tastes the same, atleast not the ones I've made yet.... but it's cheaper usually and I don't feel like a cheater.
6. Bake for 35 minutes.

Here's a picture of the final CHEAP dinner.


In order of greatness, after the final tasting, the peanut rames were the best, then the zucchini, and lastly the tofu. I still need to play with the stuff more. I just don't like the eggy consistency. Any tips welcome!

Total Bill $5:
$.66 (22 cents a pack of ramen x 3)
$1 huge zucchini at farmer's market - cheaper if bought elsewhere
$2 firm tofu
About $1.34 for spoonfuls of all the other ingredients (peanut butter, teriyaki sauce, oil, spices, etc.)

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