Basil/Lemongrass Tofu with Mushroom/Cashew Fried Noodles

Ingredients
- 200gm flat "rice stick" nnodles - 3-6 mushrooms - fistful of cashews - 1-2 scallions (spring onions) - 400gm Tofu - 1-2 sweet red peppers - 2 ripe red tomatoes - a few birds-eye chillis - 3 stalks lemongrass - 6 stalks fresh basil - 2 cloves garlic - soy sauce - sesame oil - vegetable oil
Instructions
Yesterday's browse through the fridge revealed some basil, lemongrass and tofu coming close to their use-by dates. Luckily these three things go very well together. You can use chicken instead of the tofu. 1. Cook rice noodles according to packet instructions. drain and rinse with cold water to stop them sticking and going soggy. Set to one side. 2. Put 2 pans on medium heat with a little vegetable oil in both. Chop the lemongrass and grind it and the garlic with a mortar/pestle. 3. Cut the tofu into whatever size/shape chinks you want. I'm using a very firm textured tofu because that's what I had in the fridge. Put the tofu in one pan and the thinly sliced mushrooms into the other. 4. Chop the scallions/spring onions quite finely. Turn the tofu every few minutes to brown on as many sides as possible. When the mushrooms are browned, add the cahews to the mushroom pan. Also add the white part of the chopped scallions to the mushroom pan. 5. Chop the tomatoes and peppers into chunks. Add the crushed garlic/lemongrass to the tofu pan along with the peppers and tomotoes. 6. Keep tossing/stirring the cashews so the brown without burning. When they've browned, add some sesame oil to tha pan and put in tht cold cooked noodles. Stir so the oil coats the noodles to stop them sticking and reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the noodles to cook and crisp up at the bottom. Then flip them over and do the same on the other side. 7. Rip the basil leaves and cut the chillis along a diagonal about 3-4 mm wide. Add these to the tofu pan and stir in. 8. Add approx. 1 tbsp dark soy to the noodles and approx. 2 tbsp light soy and stir well. The crispy top and base of the noodles will become slightly chewy as they soak up the soy sauce. Sprinkle the noodles with the green part of the scallions and the meal is ready. The tofu might benefit from the addition of some ginger/galangal and maybe some lemon/lime juice. I'll try that next time I make it.