Tempeh Stir Fry with Gingery Black Bean Sauce

Black bean paste is a Chinese condiment made from fermented soy beans. It is salty and quite pungent. This recipe results in a somewhat mild black bean sauce, not as strong as some I've had at restaurants. I think broccoli or green beans would be an excellent addition to this stir fry if you have some on hand.

Stir fry:
Canola oil
1 T sesame oil
3 red Chinese chilies, 2 whole and 1 crushed
1 large yellow onion, sliced into thin quarter-moons
1 package tempeh (12 oz), cut into thin slices or cubes
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced med-thick
2 T ginger, grated
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 green onions, sliced into long diagonal pieces
1 more green onion, thinly sliced, for garnish

Sauce:
1 c water
1 T cornstarch
3 T black bean paste
2 T soy sauce
1 T rice vinegar, preferably Chinese black vinegar
1 T sugar

Whisk all sauce ingredients together. Heat a little canola oil in a large skillet. Add chilies, cook over med-high heat for 1 minute. Add onions, cook until they begin to become transparent. Add sesame oil, tempeh, and carrots, stir fry until tempeh starts to brown and carrots are just starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and celery, stir fry until vegetables are just barely done. Add garlic and ginger, stir fry for 2 minutes. Add sauce and green onions, cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens. Serve over brown rice with extra green onions as garnish.