Dragon Noodles

This is my latest discovery, and I've been making it often because it satisfies all my cravings for takeout, is fairly quick to make, and is easily adaptable to whatever ingredients I have on hand. The sauce is sweet, tart, and spicy.

Dragon Noodles

1 pkg tofu (or cooked chicken, shrimp or beef or ground meat or skip it and add more eggs)

1/2 lb cooked noodles (spaghetti, angel hair, rice noodles -- whatever you've got)

2 cups (about) chopped vegetables (any mix of the following: carrot, celery, broccoli, snap or snow peas, shelled edamame, cabbage, onion, green onion, mushroom, bell peppers)

2 eggs, beaten

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs. ginger, minced

Sauce:

2 Tbs. chili paste

2 Tbs. brown sugar

2 Tbs. soy sauce

1-2 Tbs. fish sauce

juice of 1 lime

optional garnishes:

1/4 c. chopped peanuts

1/4 c. chopped cilantro 

2 green onions, thinly sliced

If I have the time and energy, sometimes I fry or bake the tofu to give it more texture.  To fry, just cut in cubes or strips and fry until golden and crispy.  To bake, stir cubes with a little soy sauce and sesame oil (1-2 tsp each), then bake at about 425, stirring occasionally, until they're a little golden on the corners.

Mix together the sauce.  

Heat a couple tablespoons of oil (vegetable, canola, peanut) in a wok or large frying pan.  Saute the vegetables (start with carrots, celery, onion first, because they take a little longer to cook), adding the garlic and ginger about a minute or two before the rest of the vegetables will be crisp-tender.  

Push the vegetables off to one side and pour the beaten eggs into the pan.  Let them cook until they're cooked about halfway through, then give them a little stir and let them finish cooking before mixing into the vegetables.  

Pour the sauce into the pan and stir in the noodles and tofu.  Serve quickly, garnishing with peanuts and cilantro or green onions if desired.