Peanut Butter - Hold the Jelly

Okay ... I suppose of all my quirks and addictions, my penchant for peanut butter is the most benign. I put a spoon or two into my oatmeal along with sliced bananas, add it to my waffle batter with a little maple syrup, slather it on an English Muffin for a midnight snack, stir it into my butternut squash soup and sometimes even turn it into cookies with dark chocolate chunks. So it's probably not surprising that tonight it ended up in my oriental noodle dish.

VEGETABLE LO MEIN

8 ounces dry udon noodles
1/2 pound extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons arrowroot
1 cup vegetable broth, divided
3 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
1 teaspoon chili sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, sliced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced on a diagonal
1 package broccoli slaw
8 ounces sliced mushroom
1 tablespoon sesame oil

1. Cook udon noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Marinate tofu in 2 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, and 2 teaspoons arrowroot for 15 minutes.
3. In a measuring cup, mix together remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon arrowroot, ½ cup broth, peanut butter, and chili sauce. Mix well and set aside
4. Spray a large wok (or large skillet) with cooking spray. Add tofu with its marinade to wok and stir-fry tofu until browned on all sides. Remove tofu and set aside.
5. Heat 1/4 cup broth in the wok and add onion, ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add celery, mushrooms and broccoli slaw. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add remaining 1/4 cup broth, cover, and steam vegetables for 2 to 3 minutes. Add tofu and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add sauce and sesame oil, turning to coat tofu and vegetables. Add cooked udon noodles and turn to coat noodles with sauce.