I've been a vegetarian since January of 2008. It started out as a New Year's resolution to give up meat for a month. But one month turned into a year, then another year, and eventually six. Over the years I've tried a lot of different vegetarian recipes.

One ingredient that has been a constant for me is tofu. Not only is tofu low in calories and relatively high in protein, but it takes on the taste of whatever you're cooking with it. It's like a flavor chameleon. Every time I make it, it tastes different.

This recipe is one of my favorites and can easily fool a carnivore into thinking they're eating chicken. Not only is it one of the best vegetarian dinners I've had, but it gets you in and out of the kitchen in less than ten minutes!

Soba Noodles with Tofu and Veggies

Serves 3-4 | Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 container of extra firm tofu cubed
1/2 a pound of soba noodles
3 cups of arugula
1 large red pepper sliced
1/2 cup of chopped green onion
2 tablespoons of soy sauce

Instructions:

In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Cook soba noodles for 4 minutes. Rinse and drain. Make sure not to overcook the soba noodles as they will become very soft and mushy.

In a large saucepan, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the cubed tofu. After the tofu has been cooking for approximately 3-4 minutes, add the soy sauce and cook on medium temperature.

Cook the tofu until fried on all sides. Bring the soba noodles back into the large pot. Carefully mix in the tofu, peppers, green onion and arugula. I prefer to add the veggies cold because the warmth of the soba noodles will lightly steam them. If you prefer softer vegetables, cook them in a small frying pan for 1-2 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!