Green Lightning Noodle Bowls

This is a delicious dish from one of our favorite healthy plant-based eating cookbooks, The Engine 2 Diet by firefighter Rip Esselstyn. Depending on your comfort-level with kale and your palate, you can titrate the ratio of kale to noodles.

Prep time: 45 min.

Cook time: 25 min.

Serves 8

Ingredients

Green Lightning Bowls:

• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

• 1/2 cup maple syrup

• 2 blocks (14oz.) extra firm tofu cut into bite-sized cubes

• 16 oz. rice noodles

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

• 6 cups very finely sliced and deribbed kale

• 3 Tbsp. sesame seeds

• 1 bunch scallions sliced

• 2 avocados cubed

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped

• 1 cup Green Lightning Dressing

Green Lightning Dressing:

• reuse the leftover soy sauce and syrup from marinating the tofu

• 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar

• 1 clove garlic

• 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger

• 1 jalepeno seeded and finely diced

• zest of 1 lime

• juice of 1 lime

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (add a little more for extra heat)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine soy sauce and maple syrup. Carefully place the tofu cubes from 1 tofu block in the bowl and coat them thoroughly. Place the cubes on the baking sheet, then repeat marinating with the cubes from the 2nd block of tofu and place them on the baking sheet as well, Save the leftover syrup and soy sauce marinade (that you just used for the tofu) to include in the Green Lightning Dressing.

3. Bake the tofu cubes for 25 minutes until the edges of the cubes appear crispy and brown.

4. Toast the sesame seeds in a skillet on medium heat until lightly browned (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally and being careful not to burn them.

5. Cook noodles according to package instructions.

6. In a very large bowl, combine kale and olive oil. Gently massage the oil into the kale with your hands. This step is important, otherwise the kale will be too tough.

7. Combine all dressing ingredients (including the leftover soy sauce and syrup marinade that you used for the tofu) in a small lidded container and shake vigorously. Set aside.

8. Add in the dressing, noodles, scallions, avocado, cilantro, tofu, and sesame seeds and toss thoroughly. Enjoy!