• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Gently spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.

Prepare the tofu:

• Press the moisture out of the tofu using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.

  Next, you'll cut the tofu into evenly sized cubes.

  In a large mixing bowl, toss the tofu cubes with cornstarch. Spread the cornstarch dusted tofu cubes out on baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes.

  Make sure to turn the tofu every 10 minutes so it gets crispy on all sides. Once fully cooked, remove from oven and set aside.

Prepare the sauce:

• In a large sauté pan, over medium heat add the sesame oil, minced garlic and ginger. Let it simmer until fragrant and lightly browned.
• Next, you will add the soy sauce, veggies stock, light brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. Stir well.
• Once the sugar is dissolved, add the cornstarch slurry to thicken up the sauce.

  If you want to thicken your sauce up more, add more slurry. if it gets too thick, add more veggie stock.

  Simmer over low heat.

Prepare the veggies:

• Gently spray a second pan with non-stick baking spray. Add the julienned red bell pepper, mushrooms and chopped basil. Simmer until the veggies have a light sear and are softened. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• While your veggies cook, run your udon noodles under hot water until they loosen. I let mine sit in a colander during this process. It only takes about 1 -2 minutes for them to loosen.

Assemble the dish:

• Add the softened udon noodles, red peppers, shiitake mushrooms, and fresh basil to the sauté pan with the spicy sauce. Simmer until everything is well combined and hot.
• Top with the dish with crushed peanuts, and extra basil if desired. Serve and ENJOY