Garlic Broccoli With Noodles And Stir-Fry With Tofu

I cooked the broccoli noodles ahead and just re-warmed it in the microwave so I wouldn't spend hours on my feet cooking. There's plenty left over for tomorrow-that's my kind of dinner.

The broccoli is a bit more cooked than I would have made it for myself, but children don't always chew vegetables as well as they could-so I erred on the side of caution. I wouldn't call them "overcooked" though (at least not by the definition I have from growing up with my mother's cooking which was very nearly inedible).

I knew the meal would be great when Mr. Eat The Blog walked through the door and declared:
"That smells great."


For The Garlic Broccoli Noodles:

1 bunch broccoli trimmed into floretes (reserve the stems for the stir-fry)
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon black bean garlic paste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 tablespoons Canola oil
1 box angel hair pasta, cooked

Steam broccoli to desired tenderness. Refresh under cool water and drain. Set aside. Cook noodles, set aside. In a very large frying pan, cook the garlic, paste and oils over medium heat until garlic softens. Add broccoli and mix well. Remove from heat, stir in the pasta and add more oil if needed until well coated. Serve hot or cold.

For The Stir-Fry
1 package extra firm tofu-pan fried (see below)
Broccoli stalks-peeled and matchsticked
3 carrots, thinly cut in ovals
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
2 bunches scallions, chopped
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 red bell peppers, matchsticked
3 star anise-finely ground
2 tablespoons black bean garlic paste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 tablespoons Canola oil
A few red pepper flakes


Place everything except tofu in a large plastic ziplock bag and mix well. Let marinate a few hours before cooking.

Fry the tofu ahead. Rinse the block of tofu and pat dry. In a towel, gently squeeze out as much water as possible without crumbling it. Cut into thick slices and press dry again. Cube and pat dry one more time before frying. In enough Canola oil to coat the bottom of a pan, cook the tofu over moderately high heat until browned on all sides. Remove to a plate and chill until ready to use.

Dump the stir-fry vegetables into a wok or large pan and cook over medium-high heat. In the last few minutes, add the tofu to coat with sauce and warm through.

Serve over rice (I used Jasmine) with Hoisan sauce and hot sauce.

Makes a huge amount of food.