Soba Noodles with Tehina and Cremini Mushrooms

My daughter and I are definitely noodle junkies, following a long line of them from my dad's side of the family. Soba is a new favorite in the house, since its just different enough texturally and in flavor to inspire a whole new cache of tasty combinations. This one is very quick, and I since I was low on ingredients, forced me to get a little creative. I'd mistakenly picked up a jar of tehina (a popular mid-east condiment) instead of tahini, and wasn't too sure what to do with it. It had tahini in it, as well as chickpeas, garlic, and lemon. Well, it helped contribute to a wonderful 'sauce' that coats the noodles just enough and doesn't overpower them. What you end up with is an interesting mix of flavors; Asian and Mediterranean riffing off each other. 

This cooks up super quick and with very little effort. A perfect meal for an impatiently hungry toddler- hence, the shortage of photos this time. She wanted to eat it now. Needless to say, she loved it and even ate the scallions (after I mixed them in well with the rest of the noodles). Apparently noodles are the ultimate vessel for new ingredients in our home, and I'll be using them to try out beets again on her... I'm very determined to get her to eat them in one form or another. Even if it takes years. 

INGREDIENTS

1 8 oz package soba noodles
1/2 lb firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch thick cubes
6 - 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 scallions, sliced on the bias
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/3 cup tehina
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 - 2 tsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tsp - 1 Tbsp sriracha, depending on taste
2 Tbsp Bragg's liquid amino's or tamari

Place a large pot of water on the stove and crank the heat to boil. Place a saucepan over medium high and add canola oil. Once the oil is nice and hot, add the mushrooms and tofu. Stir occasionally till the tofu gets a little crust going, and the mushrooms have released all their liquid and it has evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Once the water is boiling, add the soba and cook 1 minute less than instructed on the package. Meanwhile, combine the tehina, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, sriarcha and Bragg's in a small bowl. Pour the sauce over the cooked tofu and mushrooms. Drain the soba and add it to the pan, mixing well to coat it in the sauce. Serve immediately with scallions as a garnish.