| Printer Friendly Version |
Veggie Lo Mein with Brown Rice Noodles
Vegetable lo mein has always been one of my favorite foods. However, if you are choosing to eat a plant-based diet it may be difficult to find lo mein made without fish sauce or oyster sauce. To give this dish a taste you may expect with fish or oyster sauce, I used kelp instead. Kelp is a mineral-rich, underwater sea vegetable, packed with flavor that complements perfectly the sweet tanginess of the other ingredients.
Makes: 4 cups
Approximate prep time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 carrot, julienned
2 green onions, finely chopped (reserve some of the green tops for garnish)
water
4 tbsp dark toasted sesame oil plus more for drizzling
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 inch fresh ginger, finely grated
¼ cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp tamari
¼ tsp red chile flakes
½ tsp dried kelp flakes
7 oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed (see Note) (I like Small Planet Organic Garlic & Herb Tofu)
8 oz brown rice noodles
sesame seeds for garnish
Note: If you do not have time to press the tofu, factor in an extra 10-15 minutes in cooking time. Cooking the tofu for a longer period of time in the skillet will help to evaporate the water that was not initially pressed out of the tofu.
Procedure
1. Prepare the cabbage, carrot and green onions. Begin to boil water for the rice noodles.
2. To a small pot over low heat, add 2 tbsp sesame oil, garlic, ginger, hoisin sauce, tamari, chile flakes and kelp flakes. Stir to combine. Allow to warm and the flavors to mingle.
3. To a skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbsp sesame oil. Crumble the tofu over the hot oil and fry until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes or longer if tofu was not pressed. Once golden brown, add the remaining 2 tbsp sesame oil and the vegetables. Sauté for 3-5 minutes continuously moving them around the skillet. Texture should still have bite. Remove from heat.
4. Add the dried rice noodles to the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Take caution not to overcook the rice noodles because they will then be too mushy and stick together. Drain and rinse the noodles under cool water. Drizzle some sesame oil over the noodles and gently coat to avoid sticking.
5. Combine the vegetables, noodles and sauce and lightly toss to combine (try not to handle noodles too much or they have a tendency to stick together). Serve immediately with a light drizzle of sesame oil, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and chopped green onion tops as a garnish.
Makes: 4 cups
Approximate prep time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 carrot, julienned
2 green onions, finely chopped (reserve some of the green tops for garnish)
water
4 tbsp dark toasted sesame oil plus more for drizzling
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 inch fresh ginger, finely grated
¼ cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp tamari
¼ tsp red chile flakes
½ tsp dried kelp flakes
7 oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed (see Note) (I like Small Planet Organic Garlic & Herb Tofu)
8 oz brown rice noodles
sesame seeds for garnish
Note: If you do not have time to press the tofu, factor in an extra 10-15 minutes in cooking time. Cooking the tofu for a longer period of time in the skillet will help to evaporate the water that was not initially pressed out of the tofu.
Procedure
1. Prepare the cabbage, carrot and green onions. Begin to boil water for the rice noodles.
2. To a small pot over low heat, add 2 tbsp sesame oil, garlic, ginger, hoisin sauce, tamari, chile flakes and kelp flakes. Stir to combine. Allow to warm and the flavors to mingle.
3. To a skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbsp sesame oil. Crumble the tofu over the hot oil and fry until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes or longer if tofu was not pressed. Once golden brown, add the remaining 2 tbsp sesame oil and the vegetables. Sauté for 3-5 minutes continuously moving them around the skillet. Texture should still have bite. Remove from heat.
4. Add the dried rice noodles to the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Take caution not to overcook the rice noodles because they will then be too mushy and stick together. Drain and rinse the noodles under cool water. Drizzle some sesame oil over the noodles and gently coat to avoid sticking.
5. Combine the vegetables, noodles and sauce and lightly toss to combine (try not to handle noodles too much or they have a tendency to stick together). Serve immediately with a light drizzle of sesame oil, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and chopped green onion tops as a garnish.
© 2012 Alicia Armeli
