Glass Noodle Casserole
I've experimented with substituting spaghetti squash in place of noodles for baked dishes before, but the change from starchy absorbent sticks to shredded vegetable fibers screws up the chemistry too much to make it a simple transition. Fortunately, sweet potato-based glass noodles are closer to being starchy absorbent sticks than they are to being shredded vegetable fibers. Their tackiness can make the mixing process a little bit trickier than it would be with traditional wheat-based noodles, but the end result is pretty nice. It even manages to mix in multiple sources of plant proteins for quite the nutritious and hearty dish.
Ingredients:
125-175 grams glass noodles (I eyeball about a quarter of a resealable 600 gram package)
1 Tbsp avocado oil
350-400 grams extra firm tofu, cubed roughly (½" X ½" X ½" or smaller ) (soy-free alternative: 14 oz. can of chopped jackfruit)
800 ml diced tomatoes
2 large bell peppers, chopped roughly (1" X 1" or smaller)
1 hot banana pepper, chopped roughly (1" X 1" or smaller)
3 Tbsp tamari sauce (soy-free alternative: 3 Tbsp coconut aminos)
1 Tbsp hot sauce
2 Tbsp ground paprika
1 Tbsp garlic powder
½ tsp chili pepper powder
½ tsp cumin
3 Tbsp combined of ground basil and ground oregano (pick proportions to suit your taste)
3 Tbsp almond flour
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
Put water and avocado oil into a wok or deep pan and bring to a light boil.
Add glass noodles. Let boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, put tofu (or jackfruit), diced tomatoes, bell peppers, banana pepper, tamari sauce (or coconut aminos), hot sauce, paprika, garlic powder, chili pepper powder, and cumin into a blender. Mix until blended thoroughly.
When the glass noodles are finished, drain in a colander.
Transfer the glass noodles to a 3-quart baking pan. Spread them out (use forks or spoons to avoid scalding yourself).
Pour the blended mixture over the noodles. Stir gently to mix, aiming for a roughly homogeneous distribution.
Sprinkle basil, oregano, almond flour, and nutritional yeast over the mixture. Scoop and stir gently to mix.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until there are no visible liquid pools and it displays firmness when shaken.
Let cool to desired temperature and enjoy!
