Thai-style Noodles and Broccoli
Pad Thai is Thailand's national dish of stir-fried rice noodles traditionally seasoned with fish sauce. We use matake seaweed and miso paste to get the ocean flavor without using an animal product.
2 cups water
1/4 oz dried shitake mushrooms
5 whole black peppercorns
1/2 oz matake (dried seaweed)
2 Tbsp white miso paste
1 Tbsp tamarind concentrate
1 Tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp sriracha or another chili sauce
2 Tbsp date sugar
8 oz brown rice noodles
16 oz extra firm tofu
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 medium shallot, sliced thin
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of fresh broccoli florets
1 cup mung bean sprouts
4 to 6 green onions
Lime
Cilantro
Almonds
To start the sauce, bring water, dried shitake mushrooms, black peppercorns, matake, and miso paste to a boil in a small sauce pan. Turn the heat down to a low simmer and cook for about 30 minutes to create a broth. Strain off the liquid and discard the solids. You should have about ½ cup of broth. Whisk tamarind, soy sauce, sriracha, and date sugar into the broth.
Put a large pot of water on to boil. Cut the tofu into pieces about one inch thick and set on paper towels to drain.
When the water boils, add rice noodles and stir vigorously. Wait for the water to return to a boil and turn the heat off. Cover the pan and leave the noodles to soak in the hot water. Stir and check for doneness after five minutes. If the noodles are still stiff, replace the lid and check at three-minute increments until desired consistency is reached. Drain the noodles.
Cut the tofu into bite size pieces. Heat a large skillet (cast iron is best) over medium heat with vegetable oil. Place the tofu in a single layer in the pan trying to leave space between the pieces. Cook for about five minutes until golden brown on the bottom side. Flip the pieces and brown the other side.
Move the tofu to the edges of the pan, and sauté the broccoli in the center for about two minutes. Clear the center of the pan again, and sauté shallots and garlic for about two minutes. Add the sauce, noodles, bean sprouts, and green onion. Stir to combine. Leave on the heat just long enough to warm all the ingredients. Serve garnished with lime wedges, cilantro, and chopped almonds.