Vegan whole wheat noodle salad with peanut ginger dressing

I found a September 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine in my bedroom, which is funny because I wasn't even vegetarian or vegan last year. I seriously need a subscription to this magazine! Matt saw this recipe and said he would make it for me (I usually do the cooking). This recipe takes 30 minutes or less to make, makes 4 servings and you will love every bite. The recipe called for soba noodles, but we couldn't find vegan soba noodles (the ones we found had eggs), so we used whole wheat noodles as a substitution.

Vegan noodle salad with ginger peanut dressing

6 oz low-sodium soba noodles (we used whole wheat noodles)
1/2 cup Maranatha organic no-stir peanut butter
1/4 cup brown rice vinegar
1 tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup (we used agave nectar)
1 tbsp minced fresh garlic (we used 3)
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 clove garlic peeled
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp fresh lime zest
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced (1 1/2 cup)
1 small red pepper, sliced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, grated (1/2 cup)
2 tsp chopped peanuts (optional)

1. Cook the noodles in boiling salted water, according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold running water.
2. Puree peanut butter, vinegar, agave nectar, ginger, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, lime zest and 1/4 cup cilantro in blender or food processor until smooth and creamy, adding 2 to 3 tbsp of warm water to thin, if necessary.

3. Toss together noodles, cucumber, bell pepper, carrot and peanut butter mixture. Garnish with remaining cilantro and chopped peanuts, if using.

Vegan "hot wings" with vegan cool ranch dressing

I have never eaten hot wings, but I saw this recipe for tofu hot wings in the You Won't Believe It's Vegan cookbook and wanted to make them for Matt. I usually don't like hot, spicy food. These turned out wonderful, but it would have been cool if the recipe had us mold the tofu into chicken wing shapes. The cool ranch dip is good with veggies and I can see it working for salads, too.

 Vegan Tofu Hot Wings
Serves 4-6

Hot Wing Sauce
1/4 medium sized red onion, chopped roughly
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (2 tbsp for step 1, 6 tbsp for step 2)
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp hot sauce
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp vegenaise
2 tbsp water
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp sea salt
Pinch of black pepper
1/2 tsp agave nectar (optional)

1. Saute the onion and garlic in 2 tsbp of the olive oil over medium heat until slightly brown at the edges.
2. Transfer to a blender and add the lime juice, hot sauce, mustard, Vegenaise, water, vinegar, salt and pepper. Blend. With machine running, slowly add the remaining 6 tbsp of olive oil.
3. If desired, add 1/2 tsp of agave nectar.

Cool Ranch Dressing
1/2 clove garlic
2 tbsp roughly chopped white onion
2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
4 oz tofu, crumbled (I used silken tofu)
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1/3 cup Vegenaise
1/2 tsp spike seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash seasoning)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp black pepper
Pinch of cayenne
1/3 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Process all the ingredients except the olive oil in a blender (or food processor) until smooth. With the blender running, slowly blend in the olive oil. Set aside.

Tofu Hot Wings
1 (14 oz) block firm tofu (I used extra firm)
1/2 cup canola oil or other flavorless oil

Dredging mixture
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper

1. Slice the tofu block in half lengthwise, then cut each half into seven sticks.

2. Over medium-high heat, heat the oil in a 9 inch skillet
3. Sift the dredging ingredients into a mixing bowl and toss the tofu gently in the mixture to coat. Shake off excess flour and place into hot oil.

4. Cook until the tofu puffs and crisps, carefully flipping the tofu over with a spatula halfway through the cooking process. Remove the tofu from the pan and drain on paper towels.

5. Toss the tofu in the hot sauce to coat.

To serve: Serve with small bowls of additional hot sauce and cool ranch dressing with some celery sticks.