Thai Fried Noodles

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce (use wheat-free for gluten-free diets)
• 1 block tofu, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces

For the Noodles:

• 8 ounces rice noodles
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb-sized piece ginger, sliced into matchstick-like pieces
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup stock (chicken or faux chicken stock for vegetarians)
• 1 bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 2 to 3 cups bean sprouts (fresh)
• 2 green onions, sliced
• Handful coriander/cilantro (fresh)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons oil

For the Stir-Fry Sauce:

• 3 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/4 cup stock (chicken or faux chicken/vegetable stock)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons chili sauce (or 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste)

Instructions:

1. For the marinade, mix together the cornstarch and soy sauce until well combined. Coat all sides of the tofu, and set aside.
2. Boil enough water to submerge the noodles, and cook until just soft enough to eat, but not all the way cooked (they’ll finish cooking later). About 5-10 minutes. Drain, then rinse with cold water and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, lime juice, 1/4 cup stock, and chili sauce. Stir well to dissolve sugar.

Assemble:

1. Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl around; then add the garlic, ginger, marinated tofu, mushrooms, and a few tablespoons of stock. Stir-fry 5 minutes. When pan becomes dry, add a little more stock, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time.
2. Add pepper and stir-fry another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the reserved noodles plus stir-fry sauce. Using two utensils, lift and turn the noodles or use a tossing motion, like tossing a salad. Keep the heat turned up. Stir-fry in this way until the sauce is well distributed throughout the noodles (1 to 2 minutes).
3. Add bean sprouts, continuing to stir-fry another minute.
4. Remove from heat and taste-test for salt and flavor, adding 1 tablespoon more soy sauce if not salty or flavorful enough. If too salty, add another squeeze of lime juice.
5. To serve, lift noodles out of the wok or frying pan and mound in a bowl or serving platter. Sprinkle with the sliced green onion and chopped coriander/cilantro. A wedge of fresh lime squeezed over just before eating also is delicious.
6. Enjoy!