In an attempt to save a little money I'm trying to cut back on the amount of take-out we purchase. One of the kids favorites is orange chicken, rice, and chow mein from Panda Express.
So, I decided to make a similar dish at home instead.
Vegetable Lo Mein
Ingredients:
- 1 pkg lo mein egg noodles
- 2 cups snow peas
- 3 small carrots - sliced in half, then into thin strips
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 2 tbs sesame oil (+ a little extra)
- 2 tsp ginger - freshly grated
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 3-4 tbs soy sauce
- 2 tbs sherry cooking wine
- salt & pepper
- 3 green onions - chopped
- red pepper flakes
Add noodles to boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Drain, and then rinse the noodles in cold water, toss a little sesame oil on and gently combine to prevent the noodles from sticking while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Put the rest of the sesame oil in a wok and heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for about 10 seconds. Add the snow peas, and carrot, and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until softened but still a little crunchy. Add the following ingredients (in order)- bean sprouts, sherry cooking wine, soy sauce, salt and pepper, noodles. Stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately.
Once in a serving dish, top with green onions. Serve red pepper flakes on the side, for those who like a little more kick (we love it, but not the kids).
Note: In case you are wondering how I made the orange chicken: I grilled chicken breasts, cut them into cubes, and tossed them in a pan with a bottle of La Choy Orange Ginger Sauce and Marinade. It's my kids favorite. I've made this chicken for them a number of times before, but this was the first time I'd added the lo mein as a side too.
The best part is we had enough for leftovers tomorrow for the kids if they want to take the noodles, chicken or rice in a thermos to school for lunch, and for my husband to take to work.
