I am going to go ahead and apologize for my lack of posts this past week. Due to Thanksgiving, the last thing I wanted to do was create a meal and blog about it. I find the whole holiday to be relatively overwhelming and exhausting, but now that it is over with I was able to catch up on some sleep and create some really great posts to share with you all!
I have found myself eating a lot of Vietnamese food recently. I first started to become OBSESSED with Vietnamese food when I studied abroad in Australia. The city of Cairns happens to have a very large Vietnamese culture and I found myself constantly craving some sort of Vietnamese food, not to mention the very reasonable prices. It was there in the city of Cairns where I experienced my first truly Vietnamese dishes like Combination Pho, Bahn Mi, and Fresh Shrimp Spring Rolls. To me, there is nothing better than a really big bowl of hot, steaming Pho and some fresh spring rolls during this time of year. Not only are the ingredients really fresh, but they are also relatively very healthy, something that we should always keep in mind! On top of this, due to the lean proteins and high fibers that are in Vietnamese food, you stay full for a decent amount of time afterward.
Although I mentioned Pho as one of my favorite things to eat, I wanted to share a dish that I have become quite fond of. It is a vermicelli noodle bowl which is filled with wonderfully crisp vegetables and a protein of choice. It is light enough where it won’t weigh you down, but also filling enough to keep you satisfied. It is a versatile dish that can use a numerous amount of different ingredients, which is why I really love it. I happened to have tofu in my refrigerator thus I used the tofu as my protein, but you can also use things like steak, pork and chicken! Below is the recipe.
Crispy Tofu Vermicelli Noodle Bowl with Pickled Carrots and Cucumber
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 garlic glove, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 carrots, thinly sliced into matchsticks
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 (8 ounce) package of vermicelli noodles, cooked according to the package.
1/4 of a cucumber, sliced
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 (14 ounce) block of extra firm tofu
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Remove the tofu from the package. Line a plate with paper towels and set the tofu on top. Set a small plate over the tofu and weigh down the plate with something heavy, like a 28 ounce can of tomatoes. Press for 15 to 20 minutes. You will see the liquid collect around the tofu.
Whisk together the vinegar, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Set aside.
Toss the shallots, carrots and seasoned rice vinegar in a bowl. Set aside.
Remove the weight off of the tofu and pat the tofu dry. Slice the tofu into cubes, large rectangles etc. Whatever your shape preference is.
Transfer the tofu to a shallow dish and sprinkle with salt. Toss to evenly season the tofu. Sprinkle 1/3 of the tofu with the cornstarch then toss evenly to coat. Continue to sprinkle and tossing until the cornstarch is used. After adding all of the cornstarch, the tofu should be evenly coated with a sticky, gummy layer of cornstarch.
Set a skillet over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. Heat until the oil starts to simmer. Slowly add the tofu in a single layer. Once it starts to brown, flip the tofu until all of the sides are lightly browned and crispy.
Take a cooling rack and place it over a paper towel lined plate. Remove the tofu from the oil and place on the cooling rack.
Once the tofu has drained, Add the noodles to a bowl with a nice serving of pickled carrots, cucumbers and tofu. Top off with cilantro and a nice serving of the sauce.
Cook’s Notes: If you like spice, add sliced jalapeño to the sauce or serve with Sriracha!
I hope you love this just as much as I do!
xoxo Sarah
MyFood MyWay 