Tofu steak with soba noodles and stir fried summer veg

Isn't this just one of the most appetizing pieces of tofu you've ever seen? Well believe it or not it taste great as well. I know you're out there. You think tofu is a gnarly ingredient only used by vegans and meatless freaks who live off of compressed soy based products. You think it's completely tasteless and has the ability to turn you into a granola hippie, tree hugging, flatulent maniac. Well it wont and it's not tasteless at all. It's like the blank canvas for the health conscious culinarian. Some of the health benefits include
* can help lower LDL bad cholesterol
*  raise HDL good cholesterol 
* for women with menopause can lessen symptoms 
* most tofu's are calcium enriched 
* rich in energizing minerals 
* contains selenium which has antioxidant qualities, can help prevent cancer 
* good source of iron
and so on... 
INGREDIENTS: 
1 tsp chinese 5 spice 
block of firm tofu - cut in two .5 inch steaks (you can use semi firm if you prefer, but not silken it will not fry the same way)
1 small cooking onion - sliced .5 inch thick and halved
1 zucchini - sliced into .5 inch rounds 
1 summer squash - sliced into .5 inch rounds 

1 red pepper - cut into .5 inch slices and halved

bunch of Japanese soba noodles - boiled and rinsed in cold water (prevents sticking)

1 cup frozen shelled edamame - blanched in water 

2 cloves garlic - minced 

1 tbs ginger - minced

soya sauce - a few tbs (to your taste) 

rice wine vinegar - splash

1 tbs sesame oil - for finishing 

canola oil - drizzle for stir frying 

szechuan peppercorn - pinch of ground (optional)

This dish can be eaten hot or room temp. 

PREP: Chop all veg. Bring water to boil and cook the edamame for 2-3 mins. Remove from water and transfer into ice cold water to stop the cooking. Dry with paper towel and place off to the side. Then reuse the boiling water for the soba  noodles. Cook about 8 mins (do not salt the water like for pasta). Remove from boiling water and place them in a cool water bath, then into a colander and let the noodles drain. Cut the tofu into steaks then press between a sheet of paper towel to remove any extra liquid. Dust the tofu with 5 spice before frying. 

COOK: Heat a non stick pan  with a drizzle of canola oil for the tofu. You want the oil very hot to create a crispy skin on the tofu. In  wok or a deeper fry pan heat another drizzle of canola oil to a medium high heat. Add onions to the hot oil, cook for a few mins (until translucent) then add garlic and ginger. When you can smell the ginger and garlic add the zucchini and summer squash and cook for 2-3 mins add peppers, soy sauce and sesame oil then continue cooking another 2-3 mins. I prefer my veg just slightly cooked, you can cook the stir fry longer if preferred. Before serving toss noodles in a small drizzle of sesame oil splash of rice wine vinegar and drop of soy. 

SERVE: Just use my photo as a guideline for plating, then wait for the ooohhh's and ahhh's. You can also top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.