Soak the annatto seeds in a cup of hot water for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The water should look orange-colored. Set aside. Pre-soak "sotanghon" (cellophane noodles) in water for about 20 minutes, till soft. Then drain the sotanghon. Set aside.

Over medium high heat, in a large skillet, add the cooking oil. Once it is hot enough, pan fry the large piece of firm tofu. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes till the tofu browns on all sides. Remove tofu from skillet and drain on parchment paper to remove excess oil. Cut into ½ inch-sized cubes. Set aside.

Using the same skillet, over medium high heat, saute garlic and onions in hot oil. Add the celery and carrots and cook till softened.

Add the chicken breast strips and fish sauce.

Place the pre-soaked annatto seeds (achuete) in a sieve or colander. Using a fork, press down on the seeds while pouring hot water over it. The water will turn to orange. Use a cup of this annatto/achuete water and add to the skillet with the sautéed vegetables and chicken. Add chicken broth. Simmer till meat is tender.

Then add the cabbage, green beans and mix well, let the vegetables cook for about 5-6 minutes.

Add the sotanghon noodles to the pan with the rest of the ingredients. Mix all the ingredients together over low heat, making sure the orange broth coats the noodles. The noodles are quick to absorb liquid, so if after a while the dish looks dry, add a little more chicken broth or soup stock to moisten. Add the tofu cubes on top. Season with salt and black pepper. Garnish with scallions or green onions.

Cook's comments: here's a tip just in time for Thanksgiving day. If you have leftover roast turkey, slice some strips and add them to this sauteed Pancit Sotanghon.

Thanks for reading  my entry to this month's "Let's Lunch"  a virtual potluck event of food writers and bloggers from around the world. This November's theme is 'birthday foods .' For more recipes check out  Twitter using the hashtag #LetsLunch or pin with us on our Pinterest boards. Watch for a round up of the other "Let's Lunch" food writers with links on this blog soon.

Anne Marie‘s Sans Rival Sandwich Bites at Sandwich Surprise

Betty Ann’s Pancit Sotanghon (Filipino Noodles) at Asian In America

Cheryl’s Chinese Tea Eggs at Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan

Karen’s Mini Cheesecakes at GeoFooding

Linda S.’s Mama’s Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup at Spice Box Travels

Please check here throughout the day for more birthday-themed links to Let’s Lunch’s bloggers!