Pork Lo Mein

Ingredients:
1 lb char siu, cut into 1/4 inch thick, 2 inch long slices*
2 carrots, julienned
2 stalks celery greens included, diagonally sliced to 1/4 inch pieces
2 cups shredded napa cabbage
4 oz sliced bamboo shoots
10 (fresh) shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 small shallot, sliced
1 bunch green onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch knob ginger, minced
2 tablespoons canola oil

for the omelet:
2 eggs
1 bunch green onion, sliced
drizzle sesame oil

for the sauce:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon shaoxing

to serve:
1 lb (fresh if possible) lo mein noodles
1 small bunch green onion, chopped (for garnish)

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions. In a small bowl, mix together all of the sauce ingredients, set aside. In another small bowl, mix together all of the omelet ingredients. Pour into a small hot nonstick skillet or crepe pan. Allow to cook through in a single layer to form a sort of egg pancake. Remove to a plate and slice. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the pork, ginger and garlic and stir-fry until the pork is just about heated through then push meat to the side and add all of the vegetables and the omelet. Stir-fry until the pork and vegetables are warmed through. Add the sauce and cook 1 minute. Toss with the noodles, garnish with green onion. Serve hot.

*We followed this recipe with the addition of a bit of red fermented bean curd mashed into the marinade. To make dinner a little quicker, we marinated the pork overnight on a Thursday, roasted it on Friday then refrigerated it overnight and used it to make lo mein on Saturday. This made the meal come together very quickly, there was no "downtime" on Saturday while the pork was roasting. The pork does not have to be hot when you add it to the wok.

My thoughts:

I don't think I have ever been in a American Chinese takeout joint where at least one customer wasn't eating or ordering lo mein. And why wouldn't they? You can't get more comforting or familiar than a heaping mound of noodles, vegetables and meat. Unfortunately, the lo mein found in most restaurants is a either a. very salty, b. very greasy, c. lacking many vegetables or d. all of the above. Luckily, lo mein is one of the easiest things to make at home. The most difficult thing to part is finding the fresh lo mein noodles but just about any Asian (we have the most luck at the Chinese and Korean stores) grocery or even a very well stocked "regular" supermarket will have them in the refrigerated section. Dried lo mein noodles are an acceptable substitution but the texture won't be quite the same and frankly, I don't find them any easier to find than the fresh variety. Anyway, making lo mein at home is a revelation if you've only had the takeout variety, it is fresh tasting and while the sauce tastes pretty much the same, it is grease-free.

Chicken Lo Mein

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1/4 inch slices*
2 carrots, julienned
2 stalks celery greens included, diagonally sliced to 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 lb snowpeas
1/2 lb broccoli, cut into florets
4 oz bamboo shoots
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch knob ginger, minced
2 tablespoons canola oil

for the omelet:
2 eggs
4 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated in warm water and drained
1 scallion, sliced
drizzle sesame oil

for the sauce:
3 rounded tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons water

to serve:
lo mein noodles
1 small bunch scallions, chopped

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions. In a small bowl, mix together all of the sauce ingredients, set aside. In another small bowl, mix together all of the omelet ingredients. Pour into a small hot nonstick skillet or crepe pan. Allow to cook through in a single layer to form a sort of egg pancake. Remove to a plate and slice. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the chicken and stir-fry until just turning opaque, push meat to the side and add ginger, garlic and all vegetables. Stir-fry until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through. Toss with the noodles, scallions, sauce and egg. Serve hot.


*For extra flavor, marinate for 20-30 minutes in a mixture of dark soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and minced garlic and ginger before cooking then pour it in with the chicken.

My thoughts:

This is sort of a healthier version of the totally Americanized takeout classic-more fresh vegetables, less fat and you can make it in about the same time it would take to be delivered. And the flavor? More complex, more flavorful and more interesting than than the best lo mein you can get out. The leftovers hold up very well for lunch the next day.

Mushrooms & Egg Noodles

Ingredients:
1/2 lb egg noodles
2/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
6 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

juice of 1/2 lemon
salt

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Then add egg noodles and cook about 6 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, heat the butter and oil. Add the shallot and garlic, saute until soft and translucent but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, until coated and cooked through. Drain the egg noodles and toss with parsley and lemon juice. Add the mushroom mixture and a sprinkle of salt and toss again. Serve immediately.

My thoughts:

This is a great side dish to fall back on. It requires little effort, is simple and tasty and great with a variety of main dishes. I really don't know why I don't serve it more. I made it for my husband for the first time today and he really enjoyed it. Egg noodles are so plain, it's fun to dress them up a bit.

Chicken with Egg Noodles

Ingredients:
1 lb thinly sliced chicken breast
1/2 bag egg noodles
1 tablespoon hot paprika
8 oz chicken stock
1 medium onion, chopped
8 oz sliced mushrooms
butter
salt
pepper

Directions:
Cook and drain egg noodles. In a large pan saute onions in butter until slightly browned. Add chicken and cook thoroughly. Add mushrooms and cook until slightly browned. Add broth, salt, pepper and paprika to taste. Cook about 10 minutes or until broth starts to cook off. Remove from heat and toss with noodles.