Name: Stir-Fried Noodles with Fresh and Baked Tofu
Yield: serves 4-6
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 2 tablespoons tamari; 3 tablespoons hoisin or oyster sauce; 1/4 cup stock or water; 1 tablespoon rice wine or sherry; 2 teaspoons sugar; 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro plus long, pretty sprigs for garnish; One 8- to 10-ounce package Chinese wide-cut egg noodles; 1 carton firm tofu, drained and cut into large cubes; 2 1/2 tablespoons roasted peanut oil; 1 heaping tablespoon chopped ginger; 1 heaping tablespoon chopped garlic; 1 jalapeño chile, seeded and diced; 2 chunks baked tofu, thinly sliced; 1 onion, thinly sliced; 6 shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, thinly sliced; 1 large broccoli, the head cut into florets, the stem peeled and sliced; 1 red or yellow bell pepper, cut into narrow strips, then halved; 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced; Salt; 4 ounces snow peas, trimmed; 1 bunch scallions, including the firm greens, cut into 1-inch lengths

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Stir-Fried Noodles with Fresh and Baked TofuCookbook cover image courtesy of Random House

You'll need a big wok or two skillets to hold this large stir-fry. Here's a recipe where you can put that very dense, baked tofu to good use. Choose tofu that's been flavored with star anise or five-spice powder, available in natural food stores. It has an entirely different texture than fresh—it's quite meaty, actually. I find it tastes best if you slice it thinly and stir-fry it with the ginger and garlic.

Recipe notes

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