Saturday, November 19, 2011

Weekend Cooking: Quick Lo Mein

Last week I had green cabbage in my vegetable bag. A veggie I never cooked before and I had no idea what to do with. Eventually I found a recipe in Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson that I wanted to try. I found out that I don't mind the taste of the cabbage but I didn't like the thick structure so much. The next time I will slice the cabbage even thinner ;)


Quick Lo Mein (serves 4)
- noodles enough for 4
- 16 ounces extra firm tofu (I used quorn meat replacement, but I am not sure that is vegan)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (leave out if using quorn)
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 4 cups shredded green cabbage (I just used most of one cabbage, because that is what we had)
- 1 1/2 cups sliced white mushrooms
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (I used apple-cider vinegar because had that at hand)
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp sesame oil

Just prepare the noodles like you normally would, or use some leftover spaghetti. But don't season them.
Cut the tofu, if using, into cubes and toss with the cornstarch and some salt. Cook the tofu for about 7 minutes until golden brown in 1 tbsp of oil. Remove from the skillet and set aside. (you can skip this step when using quorn like I did.)
In the same skillet heat the other tbsp of oil and toss in the mushrooms, garlic, ginger, cabbage and green onions. (or any other veggies you like to add, like carrots or broccoli. Also add the quorn here, if using)
Stir fry to soften for about 5 minutes. Then stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and ketchup. Add the tofu and the noodles (drain first) and toss to combine. I always add the noodles little by little or else the noodles and the veggies won't mix properly. You can add some water if the mixture is too dry.

Also check out the other participants of weekend cooking! It is a fun feature that is all about food.

11 comments:

  1. Oh this looks good -- especially with quorn instead of the tofu. My niece would love this dish.

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  2. Looks delicious.
    bon weekend from Normandy

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  3. Great looking Lo Mein! Looks delicious, love the flavors in there.

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  4. Huh? I'm glad I came back because it looks like Blogger ate my comment.

    I said this: I think my niece would love this, especially with the quorn substitute. I bet this is a dish she could make herself.

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  5. The only way I can eat cabbage is shredded into a cole slaw. Recipe here if you are interested. Most use mayonnaise, but mine uses yogurt. You'll have to scroll down past the brownies. :<)

    http://lettersfromahillfarm.blogspot.com/2010/04/brownies-and-cole-slaw.html

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  6. It's fun searching for creative ways to use ingredients on hand. I'm not a huge fan of cabbage, but this looks pretty good!

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  7. I'm glad you tried the cabbage. It's one of my favorites, but you learned a valuable trick in slicing it very thin.

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  8. I like cabbage...especially my mom's :) I live in rural MS, an area covered with growers of all kinds...I'm constantly astounded that you guys have these weekly boxes of veggies and we don't.

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  9. I tend to use savoy cabbage when given the choise as it is more tender to start out. The veins are much finer.

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  10. I'm bookmarking this recipe. My kids LOVE lo mein and I could use a simple recipe with ingredients I usually have on hand. Thanks!

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  11. This Lo-Mein sounds really tasty. I am a cabbage lover, so I know I'd enjoy it...but yes, I usually slice it super thin in an application like this. Adding it to my ever-growing "to try" pile...

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