Marinate the chicken or tofu by pouring the cornstarch/soy sauce mixture over and stirring well. Set aside.

Soak rice noodles in a pot of hot water 5-12 minutes, or just until noodles are soft enough to eat, but still firm and a little bit crunchy (they will finish cooking later). Drain and briefly rinse noodles with cold water to keep from sticking. Set aside.

Combine all stir-fry sauce ingredients, mixing them together in a cup. Set aside.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 Tbsp. oil and swirl around, then add the garlic, ginger, chicken or tofu (together with the marinade), mushrooms, and a few tablespoons of stock. Stir-fry 5 minutes, or until chicken or mushrooms are cooked. When pan becomes dry, add a little more chicken stock, 1-2 Tbsp. at a time - enough to keep the ingredients sizzling.

Add red pepper and stir-fry another 1-2 minutes. Add the noodles plus stir-fry sauce. Using two utensils, lift and turn the noodles or use a tossing motion, like tossing a salad. Stir-fry in this way until the sauce is well distributed throughout the noodles (1-2 minutes).

Add bean sprouts, continuing to stir-fry another minute. Remove from heat and taste-test for salt/flavor, adding 1 Tbsp. more fish sauce or soy sauce if not salty enough. If too salty, add another squeeze of lime juice.

To serve, lift noodles out of the wok or frying pan and mound on a serving platter. Sprinkle with fresh coriander and garnish with wedges of fresh-cut limes. For those who like it spicy, serve with Thai Chili Sauce on the side, and ENJOY!

Yield: SERVES 2-3 as a Main Entree