Confessions of a culinary cheater: Soba and Spice ( Stop stealing my photographs!!!!) – THIS SITE HAS MOVED

THIS SITE HAS MOVED TO WWW.ISLANDLOVEGOURMET.COM

 

 

Soba noodles with red curry sauce and crispy tofu

So just a note to everyone. I have been finding my photographs on ad campaigns, on corporate websites for the past couple of months and it has annoyed me deeply. The main culprits are Barbadian go figure. The same place I try to represent the same place that steals from me. I have had it up to here with bull crap stories about finding them on some mystery website which has free stock photos of Bajan food. If you know my style and you think you may have seen a picture on my blog posted somewhere else do not hesitate to contact me so I can contact the persons involved. I am tired of people ripping me off and profiting from my work. I have no issues about letting certain people use my work but asking me first is the first step. The copyright laws are always a mess but this foolishness has to stop. These people are using my work vegan or not and passing it off as their own work and getting paid. This has made me contemplate blogging because if I am going to get  a stomach ache and taking pics until my food goes cold and making the effort to style my photographs and some smart person comes around and steals them, then what do I have? Tell me! They have been also been doing to this to another local blogger and it is not fair to us.

So I cheat sometimes…. Yes… I cheat on Caribbean food and find myself cooking all sorts of other dishes  in the week which is great. If it is not a British favourite that I am feeding my reluctant husband who has his hang ups about British food( British food gets a bad rap), it is some Asian delight. I admit that I do not know a whole lot about Asian food but once something has a bold flavour and lots of colour I start to get excited. Did I ever tell you how much I love Soba noodles that I eat them every week! I love the delicate texture and the way how it absorbs whatever sauce you bathe it in. ….I love spicy food as well and when I mean spicy I mean make your nose run spicy but the flavour has to be there. I came up with this recipe by chance because my usual green curry I buy was out of stock and I had too try the red curry paste. Did I ever tell you how I do not like tofu well I still do not but this is a dish I can handle tofu in. I admire vegans who can wolf down tofu like that in any  dish but for me to eat tofu I would have to make it and the sauces and marinades  need to be very bold. Surprisingly, I did not marinate my tofu and I just pan-fried and it was really good. Crispy on the outside like a fried egg and fluffy and soft on the inside… I served my bowl of noodles with Alfalfa sprouts , lime wedges and cilantro leaves and a sprinkle of mild West Indian chillies. Loads of colour, full of flavour and packed with heat for a “peppermouth” like me.

Saucy Soba Noodles with Red Curry Sauce and Crispy Tofu (Spicy)

Red Curry

2 tbs olive oil

1 tsp- 1 ½ tsp red curry paste

2 green onions chopped

2 clove garlic finely minced

1 tsp ginger finely minced

¼ tsp ground coriander (optional)

1 ½ tsp cilantro or coriander leaves minced

1 cup (250ml) coconut milk or light coconut milk

1/3 cup (83 ml) tomato sauce

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp lime juice

1 tsp brown sugar

Tofu

3 tbs canola oil

227g or 8oz tofu cubed how you like

Soba Noodles

3 cups (750 ml) water

6 oz/ 182 g 100% Soba Noodles

Pinch of salt

Garnishes

Alfalfa sprouts gently sautéed in water, a drop of sesame oil and rice vinegar

Caribbean red seasoned peppers

Cilantro leaves

Lime wedges

Method

Heat olive oil on medium heat and add curry paste to release the flavour. Add green onions, ginger, ginger and sauté gently. Reduce heat and add coconut milk, tomato sauce, soy sauce, cilantro/ coriander leaves, lime juice and whisk gently. Add brown sugar and let the mixture gently simmer. Taste and adjust the salt using soy sauce.

Wash and dry tofu. Heat canola oil on medium heat. Fry tofu turning until all four sides are crispy. You can also bake the tofu by marinating it first and tossing it in one tablespoon of oil and baking on high heat. (The tofu in this recipe is not seasoned as the sauce packs a lot of flavour).

Cook soba noodles based on the directions on the back of package. Wash gently in some warm water and drain.

Assemble your bowl by adding some sauce at the bottom, then adding the soba noodles, the sprouts, and blocks of tofu then some sauce again. Decorate with lime wedges, cilantro leaves and seasoned peppers.

Another notice is that I updated my Gooseberry post with new pictures and a new recipe so check that out as well.