As a dog owner, we have all been there. You are wandering through the wilderness with your pup not a care in the world and out of the pristine wilderness comes a coyote, a wolf (Depending on what part of the country you live in) or possibly a rabid poodle. What the fuck do you do? You go home and create Air Fryer Thai Tofu of course! Because spicy peanut sauce noodles are the cure for daily stress!
What not to do
First, don’t walk your dog off-leash on popular trails where you could run into strangers with unsocialized dogs. I work unbelievably hard to keep my three-year-old Catahoula puppy from bad experiences. Firstly, we ignore dog parks unless we are meeting friends. In my opinion, dog parks are full of millennials drinking iced lattes out of their Stanley tumblers and scrolling TikTok while their pure-bred four thousand dollar labradoodle tries to hump my poor innocent hound. I meet so many dog owners with unsocialized huskies who meet my pup with a growl and a lunge, How do the owners not understand, that this is not socialized behavior? Being aggressive to other pups is not civilized behavior!
This morning my pup was attacked, on leash by an aggressive little angry Frenchi. What I should have done was pick up my forty-five pound Catahoula, not the easiest thing with a bad back but I could have done it if I was not one hundred percent stunned by the situation as it unfolded.
I was snowshoeing in the backcountry of Big Bear Lake in the middle of nowhere. I saw the truck of someone I know in our small town, a local business owner, parked at the trailhead. I know that her little Frenchi prefers not to have other pups run into her space, so I kindly left my pup on leash until we passed on the trail. I was not thinking about meeting Mickey and her pup on the trail at all three miles later when a Frenchi pup came barreling down the snowy trail at us and Mickey’s friend could be yelling “Oh shit! He’s mean!” I honestly thought her dog would listen to her and come back and I didn’t realize she had two Frenchi’s with her, Lucy the pup on the leash and Medusa, the Frenchi who was now growling and biting my Catahoula’s legs. Luckily I had my pup on a leash with the choke chain and I just kept her head away from the aggressive little bitch so Luna couldn’t engage this demon dog.
Whew, after a morning of bitey bitches and snowshoeing, do I need a Thai food salad! But how can you enjoy delicious Thai food when on the keto kraze? It’s easier than you would think thanks to delicious konjac noodles (Instead of rice noodles) and the help of my air fryer to create easy Air Fryer Thai Tofu. I don’t use any additional sugars in my Thai Peanut Dressing or in my marinade.
Air Fryer Thai Tofu
Thai Coconut Peanut Dressing
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons coconut milk
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (Or galangal root is a better option but hard
to find)
1 teaspoon freshly grated garlic
1 teaspoon sambal oelek chili sauce (You can also substitute Sriracha which has less sugar)
Combine all in a food processor and set aside to dress the salad later.
For the Air Fryer Thai Tofu
1 package of extra-firm tofu, drained in a tofu press
1 teaspoon sambal oelek chili sauce (You can also substitute Sriracha which has less sugar)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons coconut milk
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon homemade Curry Powder
2 teaspoons coconut oil at room temperature
1 package of Konjac noodles
1/8 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/8 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup snap peas
1/2 of a red bell pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup of Gochujang Almonds or Peanuts
Mix the sambal oelek, soy, fish sauce, coconut milk, grated ginger and curry powder. Marinate your Air Fryer Thai Tofu in this coconut curry sauce for at least an hour. when you are ready to cook your tofu, put the tofu in the air fryer and sprinkle the coconut oil over the top. Bake the tofu in your air fryer for 18 minutes in at 400.
While your Air fryer Tofu is cooking, slice up the lettuce if there are any big pieces. Drain and rinse your konjac noodles and set aside. In a bowl, layer your lettuce, drained noodles, veggies, mint and basil. Drizzle your dressing over the top and sprinkle the Gochunjang Nuts over the top. Serve your hot tofu on the plate next to the salad.