Authentic Vegetable Chow Mein Food

VEGETABLE CHOW MEIN

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the beans and carrots and cook for 1 minute. Drain and put in a bowl of iced water until cool, about 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
• Return the water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Pat dry and set aside.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the noodles, ginger and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes until the noodles are lightly browned. Add the mushrooms, beans, carrots, and water chestnuts and cook for 3 minutes. Add the broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and honey. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until slightly reduced and thick, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Transfer the chow mein to a large bowl and garnish with the green onions before serving.

VEGETABLE CHOW MEIN

Steps:

• Fill a wok or medium saucepan with water, bring to a boil and cook the egg noodles until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain, then coat with the toasted sesame oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together and set aside.
• Heat a wok over high heat and add the vegetable oil. When the wok is smoking, add the garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and cook until starting to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Season the mushrooms with the Chinese five-spice powder. Stir-fry for 1 minute more, then add the spinach and stir-fry for another minute until wilted (you can add a few tablespoons of water to help create some steam to cook the spinach if necessary). Toss in the cooked egg noodles, season with the light soy sauce and salt. Garnish with sliced scallions, toasted black and white sesame seeds and serve immediately.

AUTHENTIC VEGETABLE CHOW MEIN

Steps:

• Bring 8 cups unsalted water to a boil in a 6- to 8-quart pot, then add noodles, stirring to separate, and cook 15 seconds. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until noodles are cool, then shake colander briskly to drain excess water.
• Stir together soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, and cornstarch with 1/4 teaspoon white pepper in a small bowl until smooth, then stir in chicken broth.
• Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within 1 to 2 seconds of contact, then add 1/2 cup peanut oil and heat until just smoking. Carefully add noodles all at once, flattening top to form a 9-inch cake. Cook until underside is golden, 4 to 5 minutes, rotating noodle cake with a metal spatula to brown evenly and lifting edges occasionally to check color.
• Carefully flip noodle cake over with spatula and tongs, then cook, rotating cake, until other side is golden, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer noodle cake to a large paper-towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Discard any oil remaining in wok and wipe out wok with paper towels.
• Transfer drained noodle cake to a platter and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.
• Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within 1 to 2 seconds of contact.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok over high heat. When oil just begins to smoke, add ginger and garlic and stir-fry 5 seconds, then add scallions and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and stir-fry until softened, about 3 minutes. Add choy sum and stir-fry until leaves are bright green and just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes (if using broccoli, cook until almost crisp-tender).
• Stir broth mixture, then pour into wok and stir-fry until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
• Return mixture just to a boil, then pour over noodle cake.

CHOW MEIN WITH CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Whisk soy sauce, corn starch, and sesame oil together in a large bowl until smooth; add chicken strips and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
• Combine chicken broth, oyster sauce, and sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook over medium heat until cooked through but still firm to the bite, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet. Cook and garlic in hot oil for 30 seconds; add marinated chicken. Cook and stir until browned and no longer pink in the center, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken mixture to a plate. Cook and stir bok choy, zucchini, snap peas, and carrot in the hot skillet until softened, about 2 minutes. Return noodles and chicken mixture to the skillet. Pour broth mixture into noodle mixture; cook and stir until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Serve garnished with green onions.