Vegetable Lo Mein

Hi, my name is David, and I am Bailey's boyfriend. Since I'm trying to learn how to cook vegan, I thought I should start sharing some of the meals I have made so far. We were in the mood for something comforting and quick and my first thought was to make some Chinese food. We choose Vegetable Lo Mein because you can add a great mix of veggies that you have left over in your fridge and still come out great. I've made this dish a bunch of times, but I used a new ingredient in the form of shallots. We received a bundle from our local CSA share, and I used them in substitute of onions. Plus, I get to use one of my favorite ingredients:
hoisin sauce. Hoisin sauce is a asian type dipping sauce that is great for cooking or just for dipping things like spring rolls.

Vegetable Lo Mein
Makes 4 servings

8 ounces cooked (al dente) linguini or spaghetti noodles
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 head of broccoli (chopped)
1 carrot (peeled and chopped)
1 green pepper (sliced)
2-3 shallots (sliced)
2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
2 teaspoons ginger (minced)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup vegetable broth
¼ cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper




Step 1: In a small bowl mix together vegetable broth and cornstarch. Set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the red pepper flakes and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add shallots, carrots, broccoli, green pepper, garlic and ginger. Stir fry until tender. I tend to like my vegetables soft so I also add a bit of water and cover the wok and steam for a couple of minutes, but this is optional.

Step 2: Add in the vegetable broth/ cornstarch mixture along with the hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, and curry powder. Stirring until sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3: Mix sauce with cooked noodles tossing to coat and serve.

And, of course, this meal is Getty approved! Maybe...