Not quite green curry and not quite Italian pesto, the coconut milk and peanuts add creaminess to the sauce, but their flavors are muted by the abundance of basil. For Thai flair, try Thai basil; for Italian, use sweet basil. Or opt for lemon basil!

ingredients

4 Tablespoons Canola or Peanut Oil
14 oz Firm or Extra Firm Tofu
4 Tablespoons Canola, Peanut, or Coconut Oil
4-5 Grams (2 cloves) Garlic, minced
2 Cups Vegetable Stock
1 Cup Coconut Milk
1-2 Teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch mixed with 3 Tablespoons of Water
2 oz (about 1/2 cup) Peanuts or Cashews
Juice of 1 Lime (2 Tablespoons)
1.5-2 Oz (1-1 1/2 Cup) Fresh Basil Leaves
3-6 Grams (1/2 - 1 Teaspoon) Table Salt, or to taste
1 Pound Vegetables, such as peas, asparagus, or eggplant
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper for sprinkling
12 oz Pasta of choice, cooked

deviations & tips

Fresh lemon juice can be substituted for the lime.
Tastes great with grilled tofu and vegetables!
Try a couple fresh chilies instead of using crushed red pepper flakes.
Kosher salt works best for sprinkling because it's big enough to see how much you're using.
Go gluten-free with rice noodles! Also works with rice.

the method

Cut block of firm tofu in half lengthwise so that you have 2 thinner blocks of tofu. Place tofu blocks on a layer of paper towels and place a layer of paper towels on top. Gently press to remove excess moisture, discard wet paper towels, and repeat pressing with dry paper towels until they are not soaked after pressing. Be sure not to press too hard or you'll cause the tofu to squish and crumble. Prick each side of tofu with a fork; this lets a little more of the flavors infiltrate the tofu. Then, cut each block into quarters so that you have a total of 8 pieces. Sprinkle each side of each piece with salt and pepper.

Place 4 tablespoons canola or peanut oil in a 12" wok or skillet and heat on medium. Skillet is ready when oil starts to shimmer and sizzles when a piece of tofu is added. Gently place each block of tofu into oil and pan fry each side for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the tofu is golden. Remove tofu from oil and set aside. Set aside pan for use later in the recipe.

In a small saucepan, heat 4 tablespoons of canola, peanut or coconut oil over medium heat. Add garlic and fry for just about a few seconds or until the garlic is fragrant. Pour in vegetable stock and coconut milk. Add crushed red pepper flakes. Stir well. When mixture comes to a simmer, slowly whisk in cornstarch and water mixture. Blend well and remove from heat.

Whisk in cornstarch mixture until smooth.

Add peanuts to food processor and process until finely chopped. Pour in sauce and process until smooth. Toss in basil leaves and lime juice. Process until leaves are finely chopped.

Return sauce to saucepan and season as needed with salt. The amount of salt you need will vary depending on how salty your stock is. So, add a little at a time and taste before adding more. Add tofu, cover pan and heat on low for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the tofu to absorb flavor from the sauce.

Take the pan you used to fry the tofu and heat over high. There should still be enough oil in the pan to cover the bottom, but if not, you may add a little more. After the pan starts smoking, add vegetables and stir-fry for a few minutes or until the veggies are a little charred. The veggies should be just tender but still a little crisp. If they're too raw, reduce heat to low, continue stirring so that your veggies don't burn and cook until tender. You may also push the veggies to the side to allow them to cook indirectly over low heat. Season with salt and pepper. The vegetables should be seasoned well enough to eat on their own.

Add a little sauce to the prepared noodles and heat gently over low just until the pasta starts to absorb the sauce. Serve with a little extra sauce, tofu and vegetables.