I’m going to come clean about a recent addiction.
Don’t worry, it’s not drugs or smoking or cheap vodka. But my doctor still might not approve. You see, a few months ago I discovered my local co-op got fresh almond croissants delivered everyday from Cannelle Patisserie, easily one of the best pastry shops in New York. They are big and filled with almond paste and flakey in the best way possible. I can’t get enough of them.
On a good week, I’d get one or two for breakfast and be done with it. During weaker periods, I’d succomb to three or four in a week. Self control, at least when it comes to croissants, is not my strongest quality.
In an effort to prevent my diet from being way too carb-heavy, I’ve been experimenting with some healthy lunches that aren’t rice- or noodle-based. Or rather, wheat-noodle-based. I still like the thought of having noodles, so why not just make them out of vegetables instead?
(This was also partly influenced by a recent conversation with my friend Justin, who has gone gluten-free and says he has never felt better. I’m not going gluten-free, but maybe more vegetables in place of wheat would make me feel less sluggish day-to-day.)
And so I’ve gotten into the habit of making zucchini noodles, with a sauce similar to the ones I make for soba and other cold noodles. I just use a vegetable peeler to slice the zucchini into wide ribbons, briefly cook them, and toss them with a sesame oil, soy sauce (you can also opt for gluten-free soy sauce), and rice vinegar mixture.
To make the dish more filling, I pan-fry some tofu with ginger in a skillet to top off the noodles. Carrots add some nice color, plus they are also easy to julienne, but you can also toss in some chopped kale or boy choy or sliced raw radishes. I also sometimes add nori strips (sliced from nori snack packs) on top for some umami oomph, but you can leave them out if you choose.
Plus, because the noodles can be eaten at room temperature or cold, they’re fantastic for the upcoming summer, which promises to be long and muggy. Make a big batch for the week, eat it straight out of the fridge, and feel less guilty about your morning pastry habits! (Or so I tell myself.)
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Zucchini Noodles with Pan-Fried Tofu
Serves 2 to 3 as a main course
- 3 large zucchini
- 1 large carrot, peeled
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (can substitute gluten-free soy sauce)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 pound (1 block) extra-firm tofu
- 1 to 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
- 1/2 tablespoon minced or grated ginger
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
- Nori strips, optional (I bought nori snack packs and sliced the sheets into thin strips)
- With a vegetable peeler, slice the zucchini into wide ribbons. (I rotate the zucchini every 2 or 3 slices so the ribbons get a nice thin strip of dark green along the edges.) With a julienne or vegetable peeler, slice the carrot into strips.
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the zucchini and cook for about 1 minute. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with half of the soy sauce mixture, reserving the other half. Transfer the tossed zucchini noodles to a large serving dish.
- Drain and rinse the tofu, then cut into flat, bite-sized pieces. Blot the tofu all around with a paper towel (drying the tofu helps it pan-fry better.)
- In a large skillet, add half the cooking oil. Working in two batches, pan-fry the tofu until golden brown and a little bit crispy on the outside, about 3 minutes per side. Add the ginger to cook for about 30 seconds after the second batch has gotten crispy. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Top the noodles with the carrot and tofu and drizzle the remainder of the soy sauce mixture on top. (If all the tofu doesn’t fit, you can also put any extras in another dish to be served on the side) Sprinkle the sesame seeds and nori strips on top and serve.
The zucchini noodles look so good! I’m bookmarking these to send to my sister who just started a gluten-free diet. By the way, I tried your cold sesame noodles last weekend for a potluck and they were a big hit!
Oh I love the sound of this. I’m going to try it with some leftover roast chicken.
I can’t wait to try this! I would have never thought of using zucchini ribbons as pasta, it sounds great. My diet has been a little too carb-heavy lately as well (I blame delicious Chinese food that I just *need* rice with!) and eating a lot of cookies didn’t help…
Oh, and Cannelle Pattisserie is amazing! I discovered it after a few months living in Woodside, their cakes are delicious. I haven’t tried their almond croissants yet, but I might indulge one day :)
Looks great…might try it with my spiral cutter.
Marni – Thanks! The cold sesame noodles are one of my potluck go-to recipes too. Now these zucchini noodles will be added to the roster!
Jen – Roast chicken sounds great! With some pan juices added to the sauce mixture, perhaps?
Irene – I still have to make a pilgrimage to their Queens HQ, so if you have any recommendations of what else to try there, I’m all ears!
rivercook – Spiral zucchini noodles sound great! Also, if you’re making them very thin, they can be blanched for just 30 seconds or so.
thanks for the shout-out… this is funny because just yesterday i was editing a recipe for zucchini noodles and thinking how good it sounds.
This is definitely the direction I’m going in these days, hard as it is to give up my beloved noodles! When you do your zucchini ribbons, do you do the whole zucchini? I end up throwing away the core with the seeds because my vegetable peeler starts to protest at that point, but feel horribly guilty about it. Maybe I should be using my Benriner for the whole thing? The spiralizer was my other thought.
Wow, these look so delicious and light and tasty :-)
I am trying to make sure this is my summer of getting healthy so I can then keep it off as I turn the corner to 30 and then a wedding: gotta make sure those baked goods only get baked to share and these healthy goodies are what we hoard at home!!
Justin – What a nice coincidence!
Audrey – I usually peel until the core with the seeds too, which also gets too soft to do anything with. At that point I’ll just chop it up and save it to either stir-fry later on with meat and vegetables or add it to vegetable stock. You can try it on the mandoline, though it may be harder to get nice long strips, and you may run into the same issue of the soft center. But the spiralizer sounds like a fantastic other option, and you can definitely lessen the blanching time to around 30 seconds.
Rachel – Thank you! I’m trying to start off the summer right too…though it is very hard to share baked goods sometimes!
Diana, these look and sound amazing! Right up my alley… Will be making this for Max soon :)
Most of their cakes are a bit too sweet, but the Creole one is fantastic if you like chocolate. They’re also known for their bread, I’ve tried their baguettes and Italian bread and so far, it’s the second best I’ve had in NY (the best was from Parisi bakery in SoHo, and also the closest to the European bread I’m used to, crunchy outside and soft inside, not just a bun!). Also, apparently they make the best macarons in NY, I haven’t tried them myself yet but I gave a box to a sweets-addicted friend as a gift and she said they were even better than Laduree’s!
I’m going to have to try these! I’m gluten sensitive and I’ve been having flare ups lately. And I love zucchini.
Barb – Let me know how it goes!
Irene – Thanks for the suggestions, especially the tip on the macarons! Will definitely need to make a trip there soon.
Katie – Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the recipe!
The directions don’t indicate what to do with the carrot…unless I missed it.
Nevermind, I found it tucked in there at the end of the zucchini instructions…
I couldn’t wait to try this when I first saw it!!! And unfortnately, I did wait because this recipe is INCREDIBLE!!! I used my julienne peeler for the zucchini and carrots. I don’t “do” tofu, so I skipped that. I could eat the entire bowl right NOW!! I can see myself adding schechaun (sp?) pepper corns to this; it reminds me of your spicy cucumbers. Thanks again!
Ever since I read this post I’ve been using zucchini instead of noodles..I’m hooked.
I don’t boil them but prefer to slightly sauté with a tad of oil…They are the best!
Thanks for suggesting this healthy alternative.
I tried this today as I’m trying to eat more protein and veggies and less carbs. It was really delicious. I also added some red pepper flakes just for a little kick. I did find it a little watery though. I think I should have let the “noodles” drain a little longer.
Recommendations if you go to Canelle:
All croissants (plain, chocolate, almond)
Guava danish
Pear Tart
I’ve also heard good things about their macarons…
nom nom nom… made this yesterday and loved it. Zucchini noodles are brilliant! Super flavorful, refreshing and light. I wish I had ended up with leftovers… I’m so happy I discovered your blog. I see lots of recipes I’m interested to try here!
Just found your blog and I am really enjoying it! Lovely recipes and creative spirit. My friend’s neighbor gave her two giant zucchini which she then gave to me. Six loaves of zucchini bread later, I still have more zucchini! The zucchini noodles sound like the perfect delicious answer. Can’t wait to try it out!
I am so happy to have found your blog. As we speak I am compiling Yunnan Local Cuisine recipes (RuBing anyone?). I will follow you and come back often. Thanks!
Regards, Roz