Black Pepper Tofu Stir Fry

I absolutely love Chinese food. I used to hate tofu, and now I'm actually becoming a fan. Shocker. This recipe is so delicious, and is vegan friendly! No guilt here!

INGREDIENTS FOR STIR FRY:

• 1 14 oz bag of uncooked rice noodles

• 1 large block of tofu, extra firm

• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch (you can use flour)

• Salt to taste

• Some grape seed oil (canola is fine)

• 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne

• 4 cups of mushrooms, sliced

• 1 medium bell pepper, cut in strips

• 1 cup of shredded carrots

• A handful of green onions, chopped

INGREDIENTS FOR BLACK PEPPER SAUCE:

• 6 cloves of garlic, chopped

• 1 jalapeño, chopped

• 2 teaspoons of Siracha sauce (more if you want it spicier, or less if you don't want it to be too spicy)

• 2 tablespoons of ginger, chopped

• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce

• Pepper to taste (personally lots and lots of pepper for me)

• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar

• 1/4 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch (or flour)

DIRECTIONS:

• Take your tofu, and slice it in bite size pieces, I like them medium sized

• Take a bowl, or a ziplock bag, and add in flour, cayenne, salt and pepper

• Put the tofu into the bowl or bag, and combine until the tofu is covered evenly on all sides, set aside

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl for the sauce. Give it a taste and make sure you like it. Add more spice if you desire

• In a wok, or a large skillet over medium high heat, add some oil and swirl the pan

• Add in the tofu, and cook evenly on all sides until it is nice and slightly crispy

• Remove the tofu onto a plate

• Add some more oil to the pan

• Cook your vegetables on medium heat. I added in some extra garlic and ginger for some extra flavor

• Add your tofu back into the wok. Add in a small amount of the black pepper sauce to the pan and mix it together. Then turn off the heat

• In a large pan, add in some hot water and a tablespoon of salt

• Once the water is boiling, add in your rice noodles. Cook them for around 6-7 minutes, or until they are cooked. Do not cook them for too long, or they will become soft and smushy. Rice noodles cook fairly fast, that is why I like to cook them last, so I can keep a close eye on them

• After the rice noodles are cooked, add them into the wok, combine them with the vegetables, and add in remaining sauce

• Mix it thoroughly, and it is ready to enjoy!