Cold "Faux" Sesame Noodles and Fried Tofu Triangels

I cooked tonight. (I know, I know...please try to curb your shock and amazement.) This is lazy man food. You'll soon learn I cook nothing but simple things and casseroles.

The tofu is a variation on a recipe my mother and I make, given to us by a woman from China. The original recipe calls for a marinade which I omitted in favor of eel sauce, because eel sauce is the most delicious thing on the planet. The tofu I like to use is simply called Chinese Five Spice tofu and I think you may only be able to get it in Boston area. (It's made in Cambridge.) It's pre-seasoned and super pressed into four little very firm blocks. Seriously, I mean SUPER firm! It makes the extra firm tofu at the supermarket look like jello.

Fried Tofu Triangles

• 1 package tofu
• Canola oil (for frying)
• eel sauce
  

Prep:

1. Cut the tofu blocks into thirds 'heightwise', so each block is in three thin rectangular sheets.
2. Cut each rectangle in half diagonally to make triangles.

Cooking:

1. Fry the tofu in a frying pan in enough oil to submerge it halfway until it starts to brown nicely around the edges.
2. Remove triangles from the oil and allow to cool and drain on a paper towel.
3. Plate and drizzle with eel sauce.
4. Eat it!
   

I refer to the noodles as 'faux' because there really isn't any sesame in them other than sesame oil. I make a variation of Dio's amazing Thai Peanut Sauce with sesame oil added to it to fake the taste of tahini. The great thing about that sauce is you can really mix the ingredients to taste. Just put in more or less of something until it tastes just right, or add your own stuff. Make it thin and it's a salad dressing. Make it thick and it's pizza sauce.

Cold 'Faux' Sesame Noodles

• 1 box spaghetti (or noodle of choice)
  

Sauce:

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp. sesame oil (This is a Laa addition for sesame noodles. Dio's Thai sauce does NOT have sesame oil in it!)

1. Mix sauce ingredients together in a non-metallic bowl.
2. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions.
3. Drain and cool by running cold water over the pasta in the strainer.
4. When noodles are cool, toss in sauce
5. Chill for 15 minutes before serving
6. Eat 'em!
   

Everything tonight is garnished with chives, cause that's all I had in the garden that went well with the dishes.