So here we are with a FOURTH and possibly my favourite (do I say that for every recipe in this series? Probably!) recipe so far of my Veggie on a Budget adventures! I put this noodle stir fry together in my head as I drove home from 12 days of work in a row on Friday this week. I was in the mood to cook and chill out to kick start my weekend, but equally I wanted a recipe that would be balanced, quick to make and tasty AF! I’ve been working on a homemade stir-fry/satay sauce for a while, and as you might know if you follow me on Instagram, I’ve been loving using a cheeky spoonful of the That Protein Peanut Protein in these recipes to help achieve that flavour! THIS recipe I’ve decided to share can be made with or without a peanutty kick, so you’re bascially getting two stir fries in one! I’m THAT good to you guys. Also, I’ve made this with smoked tofu, mostly because I’m obsessed with it, but you can easily sub your meat of choice (I recommend chicken or prawns!) or another vegetarian meat alternative! Now, let’s cook!

Recipe (Serves 2)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
• 1 red onion
• 2 handfuls shredded red cabbage
• 1 cup of broccoli florets
• 100g button mushrooms
• 200g Smoked or Plain Tofu (You can sub meat here if you want to!)
• 2 servings of Soba/Buckwheat Noodles (I use the brand Haku Baku – each serving is 90g – see the photo below!)
• 50g cashews, roughly chopped
• Optional: 1 tbsp That Protein Peanut Protein Powder (I love to add this to my stir fries for a satay flavour! You could also add 1 tbsp of smooth peanut butter!)

Method 

1. First, prepare your veggies by chopping into chunks and set aside in small bowls.
2. Chop the tofu into 1 inch chunks next – or if you’re using meat, then
3. Set a small pot of water to boil – this is for your noodles to cook while you whip up the stir fry itself. Keep an eye on the pot, and once the water is bubbling, add the noodles and cook them while you do the rest!
4. Take a larger pot, heat the olive oil in it on a medium heat, and then add the red onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is softened – about 3-4 minutes.
5. Now it’s protein time! Add the chopped tofu (or meat if using!) to the onions, and cook for 4-5 minutes. If you’re cooking meat, then the usual applies – for example, if its chicken, fry until browned/golden!
6. Next add the rest of the veggies, ginger, tamari/soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Stir everything together, and continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes, turning the heat down a little.
7. If adding a little peanutty flavour (either protein powder as I do or nut butter) chuck it in at this stage!
8. Once the noodles are ready, drain them and separate into two servings in bowls.
9. Turn the heat off the finished stir fry mix, and scoop it out into two servings on top of your noodles!
10. Finish with a sprinkle of chopped cashews, and voila! TUCK. IN.

Enjoy guys! I am OBSESSED with this satay style sauce. I’ve been using it for all of my stir fries recently, it’s super simple and speedy to make! I LOVE noodle stir fries, and soba noodles are definitely my favourite type, I’m a big buckwheat fan as you’ll know from my Buckwheat Chia Loaf Recipe! I’ve included a picture above of the brand I use for the noodles!Tag me if you try this one out, I’d love to see your creations! I’m @theirishbalance on Instagram or Twitter!

Ciara 🙂 x