Grilled Tofu & Soba Noodles Recipe
Soba noodles and grilled tofu tossed with a garlic-cilantro dressing. I prepped all the components for this ahead of a camping trip, but you could take the same approach for a quick, mid-week lunch if camping isn't your thing.
As promised, a few more camping photos, as well as the recipe for the grilled tofu and soba noodles I made the second night out. As I mention down in the recipe head notes, aside from grilling the tofu, I prepped everything before we left for Salt Point State Park. The pre-cooked soba noodles hung out in the cooler in a plastic bag next to the garlic-cilantro dressing, which stayed bright green, ready to go in a little jar. It worked out great, dinner came together in no time, and for the most part I could sit around and read, or wander about with my camera.
This (above) wasn't far from our campsite. Just a walk down the hill. You can't see them here, but there were seals lounging around on rocks just off-shore, and seagulls cherry-picking stranded critters out of the tide pools. A walk in the opposite direction led to Gestle Cove, a protected area, where we sat with the sun setting behind us, looking at all the different seaweed, driftwood, and rock shapes washed up on the beach.
If you find yourself in that neighborhood (Sonoma/Mendocino coasts), but aren't necessarily the camping type, I also love the Mar Vista Cottages. We stayed there last year for a couple nights. Each cottage has a kitchen, and you can pick fresh produce from the organic garden to cook with. Fresh eggs from the hens on the property are delivered by basket each day. It's a great base to explore that part of the coast.
A number of you were asking about past camping trips. This adventure to Whiskeytown Lake in Shasta County was particularly painful memorable. Aside from that, I posted a few cooking/camping links a few years back. And for those of you who missed the last write-up, here's the Soup au Pistou on the dinner menu the second night we were there. I have to say, as much as I enjoy camping on occasion, I do feel the need to balance them out with slightly posher get-aways ;)...
So, now it's my turn to throw things back in your direction. What's your all-time favorite camping memory, best meal, or absolute favorite campground?? If you had to pick just one to share. Looking forward to hearing some of your stories. -h
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Grilled Tofu and Soba Noodles
I'm going to write this recipe the way I made it. In preparation for the aforementioned camping trip. Meaning, I made as many of the components ahead of time as possible. I cooked the noodles the day before, and made the dressing the day prior as well. The only thing we actually cooked onsite was the tofu, which was grilled on this camping stove (which is pretty great). And as I'm sure you can imagine, even if camping isn't your thing, pre-cook the tofu ahead of time as well, and you'll have a nice work week lunch.
12 ounces / 340g dried soba noodles
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus a bit more for the tofu16 oz / 450g extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry
3 medium cloves garlic
scant 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3 small/medium shallots
3 small serrano peppers, minced
1 bunch (about 4 handfuls) of cilantro, stems trimmed
1 teaspoon natural cane sugar (or brown sugar)
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
3/4 cup / 180 ml extra-virgin olive oil
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously, then cook the soba noodles per package instructions, being mindful to not overcook them. Drain, run under cold water for a minute, shake of as much extra water as possible, then toss well with the olive oil. Gently work the olive oil through the noodles. Place the soba in a large plastic bag and refrigerate overnight, or until you're ready to use them - up to a few days.
Make the dressing using a mortar and pestle OR a food processor. I used the m&p which takes a while (and provides quite the arm workout), but I prefer the end result. Pound the garlic and salt into a paste, then work in the shallots one at a time, then the peppers. Then the cilantro a handful at a time. The mixture should be quite smooth. Add the sugar, then the lime juice before stirring in the olive oil a bit at a time. Taste and adjust the flavors if need be - more salt, sugar, lime juice, etc. using the processor? Just blend it all together, then tweak the flavors a bit if needed.
Cut the tofu into slabs (see photo), rub gently with olive oil and place on a medium-hot grill. Cook until golden brown on one side, flip, and grill the other side as well.
To assemble, toss the soba noodles with a good amount of the dressing, reserving enough to drizzle generously on top of the tofu. Place the tofu on top of the noodles, and drizzle with more dressing.
Serves 4 - 6.
Prep time: 20 minutes - Cook time: 20 minutes
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It looks beautiful. I'm probably the only person on the planet who hasn't had tofu yet.
It looks beautiful. I'm probably the only person on the planet who hasn't had tofu yet.
Heidi, as always, gorgeous pictures! My favortite camping site of all time was in the southern tip of Sweden right by the ocean. We ate cheeses and breads and lingonberries and it was perfect. the rest of the group ate fish, but i am allergic, but i am sure it was fabulous.
Somehow I always mess tofu up. I've cooked it every way possible but I still mess it up. This saddens me. Yours looks wonderful though, I'm actually pretty hungry now!
Oooh this looks great!
We, you and I, Heidi, cook a lot alike so I can't quite explain what rock I have been living under that I just recently discovered your site. But to say I am enjoying 101 Cookbooks in an understatement. My favorite camping memories go way back to when I was first married. My husband and I had to finish college before an actual honeymoon could be had - read ... poor college students with 0$ for honeymoon of their dreams. My husband and I, though, have always felt one should dream it first & then figure out how to get it. We wanted to go visit Chile, were I was born, but with our cash flow we could only afford the first nights stay at a hotel. That wasn't enough to deter big dreamers like us. So we got all our camping gear together, backpacks, cooking supplies in the most minute, Barbie-sized versions imaginable, sold everything else we owned, and we set off. We had to forgo expensive hotels & transportation. It took us 3 1/2 months, but we walked the length of Chile. I got to see my country from head to toe. I will be forever grateful that money was so tight back then, for I know, had we had a better financial situation, a honeymoon like mine would have never been forced into creation.
That looks amazing and takes camping food to a whole new level. I need to check out that link for the camping food, my husband and I have bought all the gear to go camping but we haven't made the leap yet. I'm nervous about the food and no wi fi ;)
Your pictures are absolutely beautiful! I love the way the sand looks in one particular photo. Also, I love how you packed such a lovely dinner recipe to eat while camping. I must try it!
Beautiful beach photos! The tofu and soba noodles sound like the the ideal nourishment for a camping trip. Most camping trips I've taken have been in the mountains. The most memorable and special was a semi-cross-country trip I took with my brother, who was moving from the East coast to New Mexico. We took advantage of the hiking trails and scenery along the way, sometimes spending the night at campsites and other times setting up our tent in the backcountry. My favorite "campground" was near a lake that was so pristine and quiet it felt like we were the only people to have ever been there. My brother made Tex-Mex burritos that night, and I don't think anything had ever tasted so good after a full day of hiking. The memory of that trip always makes me smile :).
Yum - the grilled tofu and soba looks so wholesome and comforting. Actuall the camping shots do too... I can just smell the salt breeze! Difficult to pick a favourite camping memory, meal or spot - we went camping so often growing up. Probably the most remote places (in Australia) were favourites - where the stars are wide-eye bright and you can cook over your your own built fire.
Yum.
hello heidi, stunning landscapes, and stunning photos! the food, of course, looks great - the bright green dressing is really tempting even to a cilantro-hater that is me! ;) when i was growing up we'd go camping every summer, and our main meals would always be grilled fish, as it was mostly a fishing trip for my dad. other than that, i always loved rice - just plain cooked over a fire. more recently, on one camping trip i went to a couple of years ago, we did yaki-onigiri (grilled rice balls). they're just plain rice balls, grilled over a fire, with slathers of soy sauce or miso on both sides. there is something deeply satisfying about the smell of soy sauce (or miso) slightly burned from grilling... but maybe that's because i'm a japanese! thanks for sharing your stories and photos!
I stayed at a hostel in Australia which was AMAZING! It was the Flinder's Chase hostel on Kangaroo Island. They had fresh eggs from the chooks there, and if you hiked around the property around dawn, it as full of Kangaroos. So marvelous....
We make an annual trek to Salt Point, Woodside. Last year I made paella and cobbler in the dutch oven. Love your photos!
Heidi, this looks incredibly tasty! I can't wait to try it out, thank you for sharing this recipe with us. I also wanted to let you know that there is a spelling error in the title of the post (but not the title where the actual recipe begins). Just thought you might want to add the second "L" in grilled. :). Thank you again for keeping us so well-fed!! eep! Well now, that's embarrassing. Thanks for pointing it out.
WHOA WHOA WHOA! Wait. You just went to Salt Point to GO CAMPING? No picking of mushrooms or foraging? Is that even allowed????? HS: I saw a few underripe berries, and let them be. Do people forage there? Wayne picked the spot, I packed the cooler - aside from that I was clueless (clearly)...
That tofu with the noddles looks amazing! I have a package of tofu that I was going to grill, but this dish looks better than what I had in mind. :) Jenn
thank you so much for the links! i will read through them tomorrow. delicious looking noodles for a camping meal!
Sounds like a great camping trip with good food. I would have never imagine to try soba noodle with marinating tofu to be a camping food but how you have prepared ahead items, it seems easy and possible enough for me to try. Next trip maybe we will have such a food. Thanks for sharing ideas.
♥♥♥ looks stunning!!!
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