It’s hot today, despite being mid-October. My kitchen is stocked with fall foods, but I don’t want to bake or spend much time at the stove. So I’ll make a pantry meal with soba noodles, baked tofu and greens.
My two-year-old daughter will eat the noodles and tofu, and she’ll either painstakingly remove the greens or wolf the whole thing down without noticing them. I’ll put the onion and shichimi togarashi (a Japanese spice mixture) on the side for the adults.
- Soba noodles
- Baked tofu
- Young greens from the garden
- Sesame dressing: sesame oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce, rice vinegar, grated ginger
- Green onion and shichimi togarashi for garnish
I plan to boil the noodles, then add the tofu and greens to the boiling water just a few seconds before the noodles are finished. While the water is heating I’ll grate the ginger, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing, and chop the tofu and onion. (The tofu is already baked and the greens are washed.) I’ll toss the drained noodles, tofu and greens with the dressing, enlist help for table setting, and call it done.