Cook: Thai Bird Chili Tofu and Noodles

The second stage in chili pepper domination found me knee deep in a familiar place, Thailand. Now I've never officially been to Thailand but I've eaten enough "Thai food" to be an adopted son of the country. With that adoption comes legal papers that allow me to cook food and deem it "Thai" no matter how inauthentic it is. I guess that is a long winded way of saying I don't know whether they would eat this in Thailand or not but in my visions of the country this is all anyone eats.

Thai Bird Chili Tofu and Noodles

(printable version)

-sesame oil
-1 block of tofu, drained and cut into small squares
-1 cup baby carrots, small dice
-1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
-1 clove of garlic
-1/4 cup Thai Basil
-1 cup spinach
-5 Thai Bird Chilies
-2 Tbs. Tamari
-1 Tbs. Lime Juice
-1 tsp. ginger
-1 tsp. brown sugar
-1/2 box Vermicelli pasta

1. Heat the sesame oil in a saucepan. Drop the drained tofu into the oil and heat until beginning to brown slightly (about seven minutes).

2. In a different pan heat a little more sesame oil. Add the baby carrots and bell pepper to warm oil and saute for 1 minute. Stir in the garlic and saute for another minute. Combine the carrot mixture with the tofu and cook for 5 minutes. Add the Thai basil and spinach and cook an additional five minutes.

3. In a bowl combine the five chilies (seeds removed and diced small), tamari, lime juice, ginger and brown sugar. Pour the sauce over the tofu and cook for ten more minutes.

4. Meanwhile heat the pasta according to the directions on the box. When the pasta is down, drain it. Combine the noodles and tofu mixture in a large bowl and stir until uniform. Grab your chopsticks and go.