Lo Mein
This dish takes a spicy and savory twist on traditional Lo Mein! As with any stir fry dishes, have all ingredients prepared, placed in dishes, and set beside the stove in the order you will be adding them to the wok. The main difference between Lo and Chow Mein is how the noodles are prepared - see Variations and Notes, below.
Ingredients
- 12 oz Lo Mein Noodles or Spaghetti or Linguine
- 1 T Sesame Oil
- 2 T Vegetable Oil
- 2 T Fresh Ginger, minced (about 2”)
- 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 4 Scallions, green and white parts, sliced on the bias about ¼” thick
- 1 C Carrot, julienned
- 1 C Celery, sliced thinly on the bias
- 1 C Red Pepper, julienned
- 1 C Sugar Snap Beans, tough ends trimmed, then sliced in half on the bias
- ¾ C Red Onion, thinly sliced (about 1 small)
- ⅓ C Hoisin Sauce
- ¼ C Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- ⅛ t Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 C Bean Sprouts
Instructions
- 1 Prepare The Noodles “Al Dente” According: Prepare the noodles “al dente” according to the package directions, then toss with the sesame oil to lightly coat evenly. You may need more or less oil depending on your noodles.
- 2 Heat A Wok On Medium-High Heat: Heat a wok on medium-high heat.
- 3 Add The Vegetable Oil, Swirling To: Add the vegetable oil, swirling to coat.
- 4 Add The Ginger, Garlic And Scallions: Add the ginger, garlic and scallions, stir frying until fragrant - just a few seconds.
- 5 Add The Vegetables (Carrots Through Red: Add the vegetables (carrots through red onion in the order listed) one at a time, stir frying for 7-10 seconds between each vegetable.
- 6 Continue Stir Frying Until The Vegetables: Continue stir frying until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 2-3 minutes.
- 7 Remove The Wok From The Heat: Remove the wok from the heat and stir in the hoison-soy sauce, until the vegetables are evenly coated.
- 8 Stir In The Bean Sprouts And: Stir in the bean sprouts and red pepper flakes.
Pro Tips & Delicious Variations
- To make Chow Mein, first stir fry the oiled noodles in batches in the dry wok until lightly browned, set aside, then follow the rest of the recipe. If you want to impress your guests, you can let them know that Mein (mian) is the Chinese word for noodles. Lo Mein means "tossed noodles," while Chow (chao) Mein means "fried noodles”. Simple!
- Serve topped with minced fresh cilantro.
- Put some soy sauce on the table as some people like theirs “restaurant style”.
- Thinly slice the carrot on a bias if you are uncomfortable doing julienne cuts on root vegetables.
- Gently add fresh medium-firm tofu cut into small pieces (about 4 oz) as the very last step.
- This is a good ‘refrigerator cleaning’ recipe; feel free to try any vegetables you have on hand; be sure to keep the cuts similar in shape to the other vegetables and simply increase the sauce if you add a lot more veggies!