3 Simple meatless main dishes

TIP Make extra peanut noodles and marinated tofu: both make great room-temperature lunches.

PEANUT HOISIN NOODLES

May be served as is, or tossed with tofu, shrimp, or chicken.

8 ounces linguine

8 ounces sugar snaps

1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 cup shredded carrot

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup natural-style peanut butter (no added sugar)

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

2/3 cup lower-sodium vegetable broth

1. Cook linguine in plenty of lightly salted boiling water according to package directions. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add sugar snaps. One minute later, add red peppers. Drain; toss with shredded carrots.

2. While the linguine cooks, make the sauce: Combine the ginger, garlic, peanut butter, hoisin, rice vinegar and chicken broth in a small saucepan set over high heat. Stir and bring to a boil; immediately reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the color deepens and the sauce is thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with noodles. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional analysis for each serving: 390 calories, 14 g protein, 62 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 486 mg sodium

MARINATED SESAME TOFU

Serve this tofu as "cutlets," cube it and stir into Asian style noodles (such as the Hoisin-Peanut noodles, below), or serve it cold in a sandwich with horseradish mayonnaise.

2 (14-ounce) packages extra-firm tofu, drained

1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut each block of tofu crosswise into 6 slices.

2. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and honey, stirring until honey is dissolved. Pour about half the mixture into a 9-by-13- inch glass baking dish; place the tofu in a single layer on top. Spoon the remaining marinade over the tofu and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. (Dish may be made up to this point a day ahead and refrigerated, which helps intensify the flavor).

3. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes. May be served hot or cold. Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional analysis for each serving: 170 calories, 13 g protein, 12 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 8 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 552 mg sodium

BLACK BEAN AND CHEESE ENCHILADAS

Beans, salsa and enchilada sauce all tend to be high in sodium; read labels to find the lowest sodium brands.

1 (19-ounce) can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 (12-ounce) jar chunky salsa

2 cups light shredded Cheddar

1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce

8 (6-inch) soft (not fried) corn tortillas

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a 9-by-12-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Combine the black beans, thawed corn, salsa and 1 cup of the cheese in a bowl.

3. Pour half the enchilada sauce in bottom of baking dish. Working one at a time, dip both sides of a tortilla in sauce. Lay tortilla flat on work board and spoon about 1/8 of bean filling down center; roll tortilla up to enclose filling and place, seam-side down, in baking dish. Repeat with rest of tortillas and filling.

4. Spoon remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, or until the enchiladas are heated through and cheese on top is melted and bubbly. Makes 4 servings

Nutritional analysis for each serving: 431 calories 24 g protein, 57 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 12 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 1,135 mg sodium