Noodles with Tofu and Black Bean Sauce

I wanted to try some Asian cooking with black bean sauce.  Before you tell me I need to make the black bean sauce from scratch, I will get to that someday.  In the meanwhile, I wanted to make a dish with noddles and tofu with black bean sauce.  I tweaked the recipe that I called Thai Sober Noodles for this dish and I think it came out great.  I hope that I will play with this in the future.  I loved the way it came out and the way it reheated for lunches.

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 tbsp Soy sauce, divided
2 tbsp Rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Sesame oil
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
2 tsp Garlic, chopped (or 2 cloves)
1 tsp Ginger, minced
16oz Tofu (extra-firm), drained and cut into 1 inch cubes
8oz Rice Noodles (large size - though it is not that critical)
1 tbsp Olive oil
3 tbsp Canola oil
1 Yellow onion, diced
1 Red bell pepper, diced
2 Crowns broccoli, trimmed into florets
1 bunch Basil, cut into strips (around a 1/2 cup)
3 tbsp Black bean sauce
1/2 cup Vegetable or chicken broth

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, Chinese five spice, garlic and ginger.  Add the drained and cut tofu.  Marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add rice noodles and submerge in the boiling water. Remove from heat and add 1 tbsp of olive oil. After 10 minutes, drain.
3. Add 1 tbsp canola oil to a non-stick wok or large saute pan over high heat.  Add tofu with marinade to the wok and cook for around 5 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Remove from pan and keep warm under foil.
4. Lower heat to medium-high and add 1 tbsp canola oil.  Add onion and bell pepper.  Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
5. Add 1 tbsp canola oil and broccoli.  Cook for 3-4 minutes.
6. Add basil and black bean sauce.  Cook for 1 minute.
7. Add the broth and the cooked noodles to the pan.  Cook for 1-2 minutes.
8. Return the cooked tofu to the pan and mix thoroughly.  Once mixed, remove from heat.

Enjoy!