Rice Bowl with Peanut Sauce

It's official...I have discovered a new bowl which I am just a little bit obsessed with and is definitely going to become a staple meal.  First of all, who doesn't like eating dinner out of a bowl?  It's just that little bit naughty...like eating breakfast for dinner...and there's only one dish to clean.  Second of all, this has to be one of the yummiest peanut sauces I have ever had.  Whenever I see peanut sauce on a menu, I always get suckered in because peanuts are just so tasty...but by the fifth or sixth bite, I become peanuted out and the sauce starts to become overwhelming.  The addition of the curry to this sauce is brilliant and resulted in the peanut flavour that I love still being dominant but instead of becoming overwhelming, it had me coming back for more! 

This bowl is a vegan recipe but would work just as well with meat-friendly options, so feel free to mix it up.  And no, I haven't made the switch to vegan...my love of cheese will never allow for that!  This recipe was introduced to me by a vegan friend as a part of our vegan cooking lessons.  More than a few years ago, when my friend made the switch to a vegan lifestyle I instantly became petrified of ever cooking for her again.  What if I forget and put butter in, or use honey, or gasp...I make a cream sauce?!  In order to help alleviate my stress and allow us to continue having fun food adventures, we've started vegan cooking lessons and I'm sure glad we have!

Ingredients

• 1 package extra firm tofu, cut into cubes
• Rice noodles, cooked
• Minimum of 3 veggies (I used a red pepper, orange pepper, yellow pepper, bunch of kale and bunch of shitake mushrooms, all chopped)
• Olive oil
• 1 tbsp. ginger, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 cup of water
• 0.5 cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 tsp curry powder (I used medium)
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp. soya sauce
• 2 tbsp. agave nectar (honey for a non-vegan option)
• 1 tsp hot sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot)
• Half bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

Place a glug of olive oil into a large sauce pan and heat to medium heat.  Add the tofu and cook until browned.  Remove the tofu and add the vegetables.  Cook until done.  While the vegetables are cooking, place the ginger, garlic, water, peanut butter, curry powder, rice vinegar, soya sauce, agave nectar and hot sauce into a blender.  Blend until smooth and combined.  Place the sauce into a sauce pan and warm through.  In a bowl, assemble the noodles, veggies, tofu and then scoop on the peanut sauce and sprinkle on the fresh cilantro.  Serves 4 and is delicious!!