Quick & Easy Lo Mein Noodles

By Mariealicerayner @MarieRynr
 
I was feeling in a Chinese noodle frame of mind today. I adore noodles. I sometimes will eat the dry ramen noodles and I do like to buy the frozen Yakisoba Noodles that you get at Costco.  They are delicious and are always great for a quick noodle fix.  Four minutes in the microwave and Bob's your uncle!
Failing that I will make my own noodles from scratch.  This is a noodle recipe that was inspired by one I found on Recipe Tin Eats  several years ago.   I like them because they are quick and easy to make. Mine never come out as shiny or as dark as hers do, but they are mighty delicious!
 
They also go together really quickly, providing you have done all of your veg and noodle prep ahead of time.  I don't mind a lot of chopping. It is the kind of mindless chore that I can do easily without even having to put a lot of thought into it.
I have even on occasion, if I am in a rush, used a package of ready chopped stir fry vegetables in this noodle dish, which are okay,  and quite satisfying, but I do have to say that chopping your own is best of all!  
I always find those store prepped vegetables can often taste a bit too bleachy for my liking. Tell me I am not alone in this!  Please!
  
My first real experience with Chinese Food was when I moved out to Calgary as a young bride.  We used to go to a Chinese place downtown. It was decorated with black lacquer tables, red paper lanterns, silk screens, jade ornaments, etc.  I remember thinking it was very elegant and I would like to decorate my house like that.
It makes me laugh to think about now.  Can you imagine?  A house decorated like that?  What was I thinking!  I really was incredibly naive and inexperienced, having spent my whole life in small towns, where pizza was considered to be exotic food!!!  The closest we ever got to Chinese food was frozen egg rolls, cans of Dainty fried rice and tins of chicken chow mien.  I do remember buying cans of chow mien noodles to eat like potato chips.
We didn't even have a Mc Donald's here when I was growing up. NO Burger King or A&W.  KFC came in when I was an older teen, and  there was Pizza Delight and the Rodeo Room, which was a restaurant which sold burgers and family style meals. I remember going there to eat after my high school Prom. 
Of course that has all changed now. We even have a Pita Pit!
 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE QUICK & EASY LO MEIN NOODLES
It is a long list, but most are store cupboard ingredients. Because I like to cook a lot of Asian style meals I normally have the things required for the sauce in my refrigerator.
For the Sauce:
  • 4 tsp Cornstarch (corn flour)
  • 2 TBS dark soy sauce (I used China Lily)
  • 2 TBS Tamari or light soy sauce (I used Kikkoman)
  • 1 TBS Chinese cooking wine or Mirin
  • 1/2 TBS Ginger Syrup (Optional)
  • 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
For the Noodles:
  • 1 TBS avocado or light olive oil
  • 2 fat cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
  • 1/2 large onion, peeled and finely sliced
  • 1 large red bell pepper, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 1 large carrot, peeled, trimmed and cut into julienne matchsticks
  • 6 spring onions, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 lb. (500g) Lo Mein, Hokkien or other noodles (I used spaghetti), prepared to al dente
  • 1/4 cup water
To garnish: (optional)
  • finely sliced spring onions

 
Don't be tempted to use jar garlic paste or a garlic press. The end result is too wet and the oil will spatter too much. Just finely chop it with a sharp knife or you can even cut it into thin shreds/slices.
If you like you can add even  more veggies.  Bean sprouts are nice as are grated cabbage, chopped broccoli florets, and even chopped celery.
You can use any kind of noodles you like.  I used spaghetti. Thick noodles, thin noodles, dry noodles (reconstituted), rice noodles, etc. 
 
Dark Soy Sauce is usually labeled as such. It packs a lot more punch when it comes to flavor and color.  I used China Lily which was perfect. The other soy sauce is a lighter soy sauce, and will sometimes be labelled as such. Kikkoman is a nice light soy sauce, and is also fermented.
Chinese Cooking wine is the authentic add in, but I used Mirin, which is a Japanese type of flavoring.  You can use the alcoholic one if you wish. Mine was a non-alcoholic one I got in the oriental section of the shops.  You can substitute chicken or vegetable stock also in its place, but if you do, reduce the light soy sauce as stocks can be salty.
Toasted sesame oil has a lot more flavor than regular sesame oil. It is darker in color.  Ginger syrup is found in health food stores and is gingery and sweet. You do not have to use this.  But you may want to add a teaspoon of brown sugar to the sauce mix, and a pinch of powdered ginger.
 
HOW TO MAKE EASY LO MEIN NOODLES
Seriously, if you have all of your ingredients ready and prepped you can be sitting down and enjoying this tasty noodle dish in about 10 minutes tops!
Cook your noodles according to the package directions. Drain well, rinse in cold water and then drain again. Set aside.
Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.
 
Prepare all of your vegetables laying them out onto a plate in separate piles.
Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat until very hot. Add the onion and the garlic. Stir fry for 30 seconds.
Add the carrot sticks and bell pepper. Cook, stir frying for a further 2 minutes.
Add the cooked noodles, sauce and water. Cook stirring and tossing together for a further 1 minute or so or until the noodles have heated through and are coated with the sauce.
 
Add the spring onions and toss together for a further minute until crispy tender and the noodles are coated and sticky with the sauce.
Garnish with the sliced spring onions (If using) and serve immediately.

Notes

You can add some chopped cooked protein with the noodles. Chicken, beef, pork, tofu, or shrimp are all good. Cut into edible chunks and marinate in some soy sauce before adding. (10 ounces/300g)


 
I was seriously impressed with how quickly this went together. Having everything ready before you start is the key. I did not add any protein to mine today, but I  will next time.
The flavors of this are spot on. Everything is well balanced out.  I did add the ginger syrup to mine, as I like a bit of ginger and sweet in my noodles.  This is a new favorite noodle dish for me!

If you are a lover of Chinese or Asian dishes like I am, you might also enjoy the following tasty delights!

BEEF AND BROCCOLI - This is one of my favorite dishes to enjoy when I go out for a Chinese meal. It is so delicious when made at home as well.  The trick is to get the broccoli just the right amount of crispy tender and to get the beef cooked without overcooking it and  of course the sauce is what makes the dish perfect. This is my home version and, not to brag or anything, its incredibly delicious!  Just as good or better than any takeaway!

GRILLED PEANUT CHICKEN -  This is a delicious marinade that is not just good for chicken. You can also marinate pork, tofu or fish with this lush peanut sauce and then grill to perfection. It is awfully good on chicken however.  It is a delicious mix of sweet and salty!

Yield: 3Author: Marie Rayner

Lo Mein Noodles

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 25 MinFilled with flavor and crunch, these are a wonderfully quick, easy, and delicious way to fill your Asian food craving! If you have all of your ingredients prepared before you start, this goes together really quickly.

Ingredients

For the Sauce:
  • 4 tsp Cornstarch (corn flour)
  • 2 TBS dark soy sauce (I used China Lily)
  • 2 TBS Tamari or light soy sauce (I used Kikkoman)
  • 1 TBS Chinese cooking wine or Mirin
  • 1/2 TBS Ginger Syrup (Optional)
  • 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
For the Noodles:
  • 1 TBS avocado or light olive oil
  • 2 fat cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
  • 1/2 large onion, peeled and finely sliced
  • 1 large red bell pepper, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 1 large carrot, peeled, trimmed and cut into julienne matchsticks
  • 6 spring onions, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 lb. (500g) Lo Mein, Hokkien or other noodles (I used spaghetti), prepared to al dente
  • 1/4 cup water
To garnish: (optional)
  • finely sliced spring onions

Instructions

  1. Cook your noodles according to the package directions. Drain well, rinse in cold water and then drain again. Set aside.
  2. Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.
  3. Prepare all of your vegetables laying them out onto a plate in separate piles.
  4. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat until very hot. Add the onion and the garlic. Stir fry for 30 seconds.
  5. Add the carrot sticks and bell pepper. Cook, stir frying for a further 2 minutes.
  6. Add the cooked noodles, sauce and water. Cook stirring and tossing together for a further 1 minute or so or until the noodles have heated through and are coated with the sauce.
  7. Add the spring onions and toss together for a further minute until crispy tender and the noodles are coated and sticky with the sauce.
  8. Garnish with the sliced spring onions (If using) and serve immediately.

Notes

You can add some chopped cooked protein with the noodles. Chicken, beef, pork, tofu, or shrimp are all good. Cut into edible chunks and marinate in some soy sauce before adding. (10 ounces/300g)

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