vegan Thai eggplant, mushrooms, and tomatoes with rice noodles and basil tofu

this is my first savory post! that says something about what i like to eat.

that was kinda a joke (but not really). i actually make my own dinner almost every night because i truly enjoy cooking, and because i like controlling the flavors and textures and ingredients in what i eat. i usually stick to grilled vegetables, grains, and salads-- simple and healthy stuff. i do a lot of research about dinner ideas, though. i have a PACKED pinterest board with dinner ideas just waiting to be made. that being said, this recipe was a complete shot in the dark for me, as i have never really forayed into Thai flavors when cooking. i was so surprised at how delicious this came out!! it tasted like a lighter version of something from a Thai restaurant-- acidic, herbaceous, nutty, salty, and sweet all at the same time, full of the flavors of lime, coconut, and basil. oh, man, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

i hope you guys enjoy this well-rounded meal as much as i did!

INGREDIENTS (serves 5 modest portions)-

tofu marinade:

• 1 block of firm tofu, sliced into about 16 thin pieces (pictured, kinda). hold the tofu block so that it is longer horizontally and cut from left side of the block to the right (you will be cutting the tofu so that the slices are from the shorter side of the rectangle.)

look at how it soaked up all the flaaavor!! yum, yum, yum...

• 1/4 cup liquid aminos

• 2-3 Tbsp lime juice

• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil

• 1-2 tsp rice wine vinegar

• 4-5 fresh Thai basil leaves, julienned (cut into thin strips)

• 1 minced garlic clove

• 1 inch of ginger, grated

• 3/4 tsp onion powder

• 1/2 tsp dried basil

• 1 tsp dried turmeric

• 1 tsp dried coriander

• red pepper flakes to taste

• black pepper to taste

eggplant, mushroom, tomato sauté:

• 1/2-1 Tbsp coconut oil

• 1 large garlic clove, minced

• 1 inch ginger, grated

• 4-5 fresh Thai basil leaves

• 1-2 tsp dried turmeric

• red pepper flakes to taste

• 4 portobello mushroom caps, cubed

• 2 small eggplants, cubed

• 2 medium tomatoes, cubed

• large handful of spinach

• 1 fistful of uncooked rice noodles

coconut and cashew garnish:

• 1/4 cup coconut flakes

• 1/4 cup cashews, measured whole

instructions:

1. wrap tofu block in a clean kitchen towel. weigh down with heavy pans and allow water to drain out, about 30 minutes. meanwhile, take out your biggest oven-safe pan with high edges. add all marinade ingredients to it and whisk to combine. slice drained tofu and place in marinade. marinate for 3-4 hours in fridge.

2. after tofu has marinated for 3 hours, start chopping up the vegetables. fill a medium saucepan with water and begin to bring to a boil. preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

3. in a very large pan on medium-high heat, melt the coconut oil and add all aromatics to begin infusing their flavors. when oil is hot, add mushrooms first. when about halfway cooked, add chopped tomatoes. once these have cooked down slightly, add eggplant. continue to stir vegetables so that they cook evenly. cook until all vegetables are tender but not mushy.

4. put tofu tray into preheated oven and cook about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

5. cook rice noodles in boiling water according to instructions on package. once cooked, add to sautéed vegetables. add spinach and stir until wilted.

6. prepare coconut and cashew garnish by toasting under a broiler for 2-3 minutes. watch these very carefully as they will burn very quickly!!

7. plate up! start with a hefty scoop of the veggies & noodles, add 2-3 slices of tofu, and garnish with about 1 Tbsp of coconut cashew topping. finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and dig in!

VERY poor quality picture of the pot of veggies & noodz!