Buddha's Delight
2/3 cup veggie broth
2 tablespoons shoyu soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon organic sugar
8 Chinese dried mushrooms-shitake, oyster, etc.
2 oz. bean thread noodles, broken into 4" pieces
2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 scallions, cut into 1/2" slices
1 clove garlic, minced
2 or 3 thin slices fresh ginger, minced finely
1 carrot, sliced diagonally
1/2 pound regular extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
1/2 cup each, sliced water chestnuts and matchstick cut bamboo shoots
1/4 small head bok choy, chopped
1/4 bag frozen baby corn
Make sauce: [br] In small bowl, mix all sauce ingredients. Set aside.
In medium bowl, soak mushrooms in 1/2 cup cold water until softened, about 30 minutes. In another bowl, soak noodles in hot (not boiling) water to cover 5 minutes.
Drain mushrooms and squeeze dry (reserve soaking water to use in soups). Cut off and discard stems; thinly slice caps and set aside. Drain noodles and set aside.
In wok or large deep skillet, heat peanut oil over high heat. Add mushrooms, scallions, garlic and ginger and stir-fry 1 minute. Add carrot, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, baby corn, and cabbage and stir-fry 2 minutes.
Add sauce, cover and cook 5 minutes. Gently stir in noodles and tofu until well coated. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until some of the sauce is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Serve at once.
This recipe is one that we order every time we eat out at a Chinese restaurant. I finally decided that it was one I could easily, and deliciously, make at home. It's very forgiving-use fresh mushrooms instead of dried, add snow pea pods if you wish, toss in some red pepper flakes if you want it spicy, use tamari instead of shoyu soy sauce (we just like the flavor of shoyu better), omit the bean thread noodles and serve over short grained rice. If you like your sauce thicker, mix 1 tablespoon corn starch with 2 tablespoons water, add and stir in when you add the sauce.
SO HOW'D IT GO?
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I made this last night for my boyfriend's and my dinner, and it was great. I am a very messy cook so my kitchen looked like it had exploded, but that's by the bye. I prepared everything first (very unlike me, I normally do everything wrong and everything ends up overcooked), and I deep-fried the tofu which I know is a little naughty but I was in the mood for it. My boyfriend described it as "better than the noodles you get at festivals", which is actually pretty accurate as it was a lot like the kind of noodles you get from stands at festivals etc, only less greasy. It was really delicious. I added radishes, and next time I make it I will also add some mange tout or something like that, possibly some steamed broccoli, and more carrot as I love carrot for some reason. But yeah, simple, quick (once the prep is out the way) and really satisfying.