Soba Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Tofu

I've been perusing No Meat Athlete for recipe ideas. Specifically high-protein meals that are meat-free.

They say over and over again that it's easy to get enough protein on a vegetarian or vegan diet. They say you probably don't need as much as you think you do. And that's probably true for a lot of people in a lot of situations. For me though, it seems like I really do need quite a bit of protein. Even if you ignore anything to do with lifestyle or weight or caloric intake or official recommendations... I can now verify that I feel much better and more energetic when I regularly get ~150g of protein per day.

I talked to a dietitian (very briefly in passing, not a proper appointment) and she said that my 1g of protein/lb. of body weight sounded way high and that the actual recommendation is 0.8g/kg (but she thinks that's too low). She said that she thought 1g/kg should be plenty.

And 1g/kg is plenty... for non-athletes. (Not that I consider myself an athlete, but I would like to get back into strength training and I want to have the calories and the protein available to do that. Plus, I'd really like to not be tired all the time.) No Meat Athlete actually provides the recommended protein intake for various lifestyles/types of athletes:
Non-athletes - 0.8g/kg
Athletes (cardio/endurance) - 1.2-1.4g/kg
Athletes (strength) - 1.4-1.8g/kg

And there it is. I can now see where the 1g/lb. recommendation comes from in the lifting community. They take the upper number go "that's basically 2g/kg and 1kg is basically 2 lbs., so that works out to 1g/lb!" So, while I may not need the 1g/lb. I had been trying for, 1g/kg definitely seems too low for what I want to do. And, as noted, I just feel better, plain and simple, when I get lots of protein.

Given that I'm trying to run a slight caloric deficit right now and cut out meat and get back into strength training, I'm actually finding that it's not that easy to get enough protein every day. Especially since, as much as I want to eat good healthy food, I do like to have a bit of a treat every once in a while. But as soon as I do that, my macro balance goes out the window for the day! It's all a bit frustrating.

Anyway, now that I've dumped all of my dietary frustration onto the page, I'll get on with the recipe!

Soba Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Tofu
Adapted from No Meat Athlete
1 (350g) package extra firm tofu
200g snow peas, trimmed
50g pea shoots (optional)
230g soba noodles
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 c. peanut flour
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. lite coconut milk
1 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (optional)
1 carrot, grated (optional)
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained (optional)
sriracha, to serve

1. Cut the tofu in half, pat it dry, then wrap in at least two layers of paper towel and place a pan or plate on top to press excess moisture out. Let press for 15 minutes.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Toss in the snow peas and pea shoots. Cook for 30 seconds, then immediately remove from water and set aside.
3. Add the soba noodles to the boiling water. Cook according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
4. Cube the tofu.
5. Heat oil over medium heat and cook tofu until browned on all sides.
6. While tofu is cooking, combine peanut flour, water, coconut milk, curry paste, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, and fish sauce (if using).
7. Whisk sauce until well blended and, once tofu is done, reduce heat to low and pour sauce over.
8. Allow sauce and tofu to cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the carrot and water chestnuts.
9. After a minute or so, stir in the snow peas, pea shoots, and noodles.
10. Serve with sriracha and/or lime wedges.

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Adaptations

Vegan Version

1 (350g) package extra firm tofu
200g snow peas, trimmed
50g pea shoots (optional)
230g soba noodles
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 c. peanut flour
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. lite coconut milk
1 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
1 tsp. jaggery
1 carrot, grated (optional)
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained (optional)
sriracha, to serve

Make sure to double-check the ingredients on your curry paste (or make your own). My grocery store recently started carrying a runnier, more saucy "red curry paste" that has fish sauce and water (among other things) added to it.