One-pan Veggie Vermicelli

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 20 mins

2 tbsp soy sauce (use tamari sauce for nut-free and gluten-free option)
2 tsp dark soy sauce (optional. If not using this, add 2 tbsp of brewed black-tea water for similar color)
2 tsp Sriracha (or any of your preferred chili sauce)
1 garlic clove (minced)
1½ tbsp vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp sesame oil (toasted)

100 g rice vermicelli noodles
3 scallions
5.3 oz green beans
½ bell pepper
½ cup corn kernels (canned/defrosted)
3 tsp high smoke point oil (bran rice works great for its odorless and tasteless nature)
1 tsp olive oil
½ cup roasted peanuts (or cashews. However, feel free to skip it if you are allergic to nuts. You may substitute it with thinly sliced/chopped coconut skin for the similar crunch)

Press cottage cheese (or tofu) to squeeze out any excess moisture and cut it into 0.5″ cubes. Combine soy sauce and 2 tbsp of water in a large, flat bottomed dish and coat cubed cheese well in the liquid. Allow it to marinate for at least 1 hr.
Heat up the oven to 200° C / 390° F (or 180° C / 355° F with fan). Take a large baking tray and spread marinated cheese cubes on it. Bake for about 15 minutes.
Take out the tray and drizzle oil on the cheese cubes. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes. The homemade crispy cottage cheese is ready to be used in your vermicelli noodles recipe.

Slice white and light-green parts of spring onions into 0.5 inch segments. Also, slice the top portion (dark-green one) finely for serving at the end.
Cut the bell pepper into thin strips. Cut off the top and tail of the beans and cut into 0.75 inch segments.
Now, preheat a wok until it starts to smoke lightly. Add a teaspoon of oil, swirl it all around and add the beans first. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Add pepper, corn and lastly, spring onions. Add another teaspoon or two of oil to the wok if it starts to dry up or stick to the bottom. Carry on the stir-frying until all the veggies are no longer raw and charred in places. However, they should still have a little crunch when bitten. Transfer the veggies to a bowl.
Pour 1½ cups of water (or vegetable stock) into the wok and place the noodles on top. Add 1 tsp of olive oil to prevent them from sticking along. After a few seconds, flip the noodles using kitchen tongs.
Cook the noodles (use kitchen tongs to continue softly detangling the noodles) until all the liquid has been absorbed and the noodles are pliant/easily twistable just like cooked, yet has a little bit resistance left (the goal is to cook them around 95%).
Now, add and stir the sauce through the almost-cooked noodles. Also, add vegetables and cottage cheese (or tofu) back to the wok. Stir-fry everything for a few seconds (to warm up enough to combine well). Transfer to bowl/s and top with spring onion tops.