Vegetable Lo Mein

I never order lo mein at Chinese restaurants, but this is easy enough to make at home and I think tastes better than what you get at most restaurants. It does take a bit of time to make, so ordering take-out will definitely be quicker!

I've tried to minimize the amount of ingredients that I don't already have in my pantry. If there are ingredients here you don't have, either leave it out, substitute for something similar, or make the investment and just fix this lo mein a couple more times this year!

1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms (or fresh if you want to splurge)

3 eggs

1 t. sesame oil (can substitute or omit)

4 cloves garlic, minced

fresh ginger, peeled and minced, no more than the garlic (can substitute 1 t. ginger powder)

1/4 cup soy sauce (divided)

1 T. sugar

1 T. dry sherry or Chinese rice wine (substitute any sweet wine or omit)

2 carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 small turnip, cut into matchsticks (substitute other hard vegetable or omit)

3 cups thinly sliced cabbage

3 T. canola, peanut, coconut or other oil with a high smoke point

1 lb. lo mein noodles or whole wheat spaghetti

1/4 cup stir-fry sauce

In a small saucepan, boil 3 cups of water. Remove from heat, add dried mushrooms and cover to allow mushrooms to reconstitute (at least 10 minutes). 

Whisk eggs and sesame oil and season with salt if desired. Pour egg mixture into non-stick skillet over medium heat. As eggs begin to cook, move cooked parts to the middle of the pan to allow for uncooked egg to fill in the exposed edges, making an egg cake. Put a lid on the skillet for a minute to get any liquid egg on top to cook. Transfer to a plate to cool, and then cut into strips.

Drain mushrooms (reserving the mushroom water to add to a beef or vegetable broth in the future) and squeeze the liquid from them. In a small bowl, combine mushooms, garlic, ginger, sugar, 2 T. soy sauce, and dry sherry or sweet wine. Set aside, allowing to marinate for a few minutes.

Chop cabbage, carrots and radish. Heat a large pot of salted water to cook noodles. Heat 1 T. oil in wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.

When water boils, add noodles, cooking according to package instructions. Add mushroom mixure to hot wok and cook, stirring continually for about 3 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked and garlic and ginger are very fragrant. Remove from pan and add remaining 2 T. oil. Add cabbage, carrots and radish, stirring continually until vegetables reach desired tenderness (I like them with a little crunch still). Add a few spashes of soy sauce once vegetables begin to wilt to encourage them to steam.

Drain noodles and add to wok, along with mushroom mixture and egg strips. Stir in stir-fry sauce and toss all ingredients until well combined. Serve hot with soy sauce and Sriracha hot chili sauce.