One for the (cook)books. It’s the peanut sauce from She Simmers, really a satay sauce, that makes it. You can make this dish with any type of noodle, any veggie, and any protein. Do some experiments and get back to me!

This peanut sauce will blow your mind

The peanut sauce after it sat in the fridge for a bit

Startin’ off the stir fry

TO DIE FOR

Tofu and Asparagus Stir-Fry with A Most Magical Peanut Sauce

Spices!

Soak the rice noodles in hot water for 8-10 minutes before adding them to the pan

Spring onions

Get in my belly:

• 14 oz lite firm tofu, drained and chopped into cubes (again, substitute any protein here in a similar quantity; I used firm tofu because it stays together while you stir)
• 8 oz pad thai rice noodles
• About 12 asparagus, cut into 1″ pieces, with the bottom 2″ of each cut off and disposed
• 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1/4 cup spring onions, chopped
• Sesame oil for frying (you can also use peanut oil, or even olive oil)
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp mild chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• Sesame seeds to taste
• Red pepper flakes to taste

I want to take a bath in this peanut sauce:

• 15-oz can of full-fat coconut milk
• 1/4 cup Thai curry paste (I used green curry paste)
• 3/4 cup natural peanut butter (unsweetened, no emulsifiers)
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1/2 cup water

Make the sauce first. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a pot, whisk them together, and cook the stuff on medium-high heat until it boils. Keep stirring from time to time, and make sure it doesn’t burn. After it boils, turn the heat down and keep stirring until the mixture is uniform. Let it cool and refrigerate it for later use, or set it aside in preparation for the noodles. I made my sauce a few days ahead of time and kept it in the fridge, and it thickened as a result, which I really liked. You will only need about half of the quantity of sauce this recipe makes for the noodle recipe below, so try and use the rest for something else! Satay skewers, anyone?

So, for the rest of this dish, soak your rice noodles in a bowl of hot water, fully submerged, for 8-10 minutes (if you want to use a different kind of noodle, follow the directions on the box). While they are in the hot tub, cook the garlic, asparagus, tofu, and spices excluding the red pepper flakes and sesame seeds in some sesame oil, on medium heat, in a frying pan large enough to later accommodate your noodles. This part isn’t over until you’ve lightly browned your tofu–should take about the same amount of time as the noodles will to soften.

Once the noodles are done soaking, drain them and add them to the frying pan, stirring everything together with tongs or forks, in an attempt to obtain full noodle-and-bits integration without smushing or breaking anything. Add your peanut sauce after about a minute, stir everything together with the heat still on for another 2 minutes, and serve topped with spring onions, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes. This recipe makes 3-4 servings.