Black Bean Noodles with Miso Ginger Sauce

As my good friend Lori says, "first posts are always hard and just about always lame." For that reason I'm going to skip all the why I'm doing this stuff that you can read on my About Me page and just jump right in.  I love Sundays that come to fruition without plans and obligations because they end up being about cooking.  You see, cooking only feels like a chore to me if it's rushed and sandwiched between nineteen other things. When I have a whole day I end up playing around with new recipes and then before I know it all my meals for the week are lined up and I feel emotionally fulfilled.  One of yesterday's creations made use of the black bean noodles I've had sitting in my pantry just waiting for a chance to shine. This black bean spaghetti comes from Explore Asian, a company I didn't know existed until I stumbled upon them in my local health food store.  They are extremely high in protein (20 grams a serving!) but without all the fiber an equivalent amount of whole beans would have. If you can't find these in your local store try substituting any other gluten-free spaghetti.

Ingredients:

• 1 package Black Bean Spaghetti noodles or 7 ounces other dry pasta
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 4 tablespoons miso paste
• 2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate (unsweetened)
• 2 tablespoons ginger juice, or finely chopped ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon or so of freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups chopped vegetables of choice (I used 1 can of stir-fry veggies and 1/2 yellow summer squash)
• 1/2 package of extra firm tofu, drained

1. Fill a large pot with 8 cups of water and heat until boiling. Add pasta of choice and cook until finished.  Note: The black bean noodles seemed to take longer to cook for me then the directions indicated. Drain, rinse immediately with cold water, drain again and add back to pot.
2.  While the pasta is cooking prepare the tofu. Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices and brown slightly in a frying pan using minimal oil. Remove from heat and cut into cubes. 
3. Cut veggies into small bit sized pieces. Then prepare the vegetables by stir frying or steaming lightly.  The denser the veggie the more cooking it will need. For example, my squash required only a few minutes over the heat and my canned veggies required no precooking, but broccoli or carrots would require closer to 10 minutes. You do not want your veggies mushy, so keep a close eye!
4. Mix remaining ingredients, siring until well combined.  If you use natural peanut butter like I do that has to be refrigerated you may need to warm things up slightly. 
5. Drizzle sauce over pasta, tossing often to combine. Fold in tofu and veggies. Garnish as desired. I used black sesame seeds and red pepper flakes, but other ideas could include: bean sprouts, grated carrots, diced green onions, or chopped cilantro.

Serves 4-5.

And now, the side of bento:
In a simple RubberMaid lunch container with frisee lettuce, a tangelo, and a block of mochi I'll cook at work in our toaster oven.