Tofu & Edamame Stir Fry

Who doesn't like a big bowl of stir-fried noodles?  This simple dish has mixed veg, tofu, and edamame making it a great source of protein and fibre.  

Ingredients (serves 2-3 people) 

• 1 onion (I prefer red onions)
• 1-3 chillies depending on your taste for spice
• 1 small piece of ginger
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• Soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of yeast extract (eg. Marmite)
• 1 x 400g block of firm/tub tofu 
• Salt & pepper
• Dried chillies (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of Chinese 5-spice 
• 1-2 handfuls of shelled edamame (baby soya beans)
• 1 carrot
• 1 pepper
• Handful of greens (eg. cabbage/kale)
• 1 spring onion
• 200g of dried soba noodles (or 2 packs of precooked noodles if you prefer)
• 1/2 teaspoon of maple syrup (agave or sugar will do also) 
• Cooking oil (rice bran is good as it has a high smoke point) 

Preparation

1. Wrap the tofu in a clean tea towel and press well to remove the excess moisture (this is much easier if it has been frozen and then defrosted first) 
2. Dice the tofu into cubes and coat with soy sauce, salt, pepper, and dried chillies then set aside 
3. Boil the edamame for 10 minutes or until edible (make sure they are soft enough to eat before adding them to the stir fry
4. Boil the soba noodles according to the instructions on the packet
5. Dice the onion and chillies and set to one side
6. Grate the ginger and crush the garlic and set aside from the chillies and onions
7. Chop up the rest of the veg, keeping it fairly small so it cooks quickly

Cooking Instructions

1. Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil into a frying pan
2. Place the tofu into the pan and shallow fry, turning regular so all sides brown off
3. Meanwhile, add some more oil to a wok or large frying pan and add the onions and chillies (if you don't have separate pans, then precook the tofu until crisp then set to one side) 
4. Once the onions and chillies have started to brown, add the garlic and ginger
5. Soon after, add the carrot, pepper, and greens 
6. Also add a generous dash of soy sauce, a the yeast extract, and maple syrup/sugar/agave
7. If required, add a couple of tablespoons of water to prevent the pan from drying out and burning the dish
8. After the veg has started to soften, add the noodles, edamame, and tofu
9. Mix well and ensure that all items are heated well 
10. Before serving, have a quick taste, and if needs be add more soy sauce/seasonings
11. Serve and garnish with spring onions