Shrimp Lo Mein

"They"--whoever "they" may be--say that necessity is the Mother of Invention.  That would sum up tonight's dinner.  It's approaching the end of the month and therefore, my grocery budget for January has been used up.  Time to get creative and also to use up the odds and ends that are in the fridge and pantry.  What did I have?  Some frozen shrimp, some random veggies, soy sauce...time for stir fry.  Except, I had no rice.  Oops.  What I did have, however, was a box of spaghetti and thus, a stir fry morphed into lo mein.  And, my noodle-loving boys were happier because of it!  Feel free to use this recipe as a springboard to use up what you have on hand--you can substitute a different kind of meat and use up just about any random vegetables that you have threatening to languish in the crisper drawer.

Shrimp Lo Mein
1/2 box (about 8 oz) long shaped pasta (I used a 14.5 oz box of "Ronzoni Smart Taste" thin spaghetti)
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled, de-veined and de-tailed
4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
3 tablespoons sesame oil or combination of vegetable and sesame oil, divided
4 cups desired vegetables, cut into bite-sized pieces (we used broccoli florets, thin sliced red bell    pepper, shredded cabbage and 1/2 a bag of frozen stir fry blend)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 1" chunk)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/4 cup green onions (white and green parts), thinly sliced (about three green onions)
1/2 cup chicken broth
optional: 1/2-1 cup leftover cooked meat (i.e. chicken breast or pork--we used leftover pork tenderloin)

In a small bowl, toss shrimp with 1 tablespoon soy sauce.  Set aside until ready to stir fry.  Prepare pasta according to package directions.  Drain, toss with 1 teaspoon sesame oil and set aside.  In a large skillet or wok pan over high heat, heat 2 teaspoons oil.  Stir fry vegetables, in batches and adding chicken broth one tablespoon at a time as needed (for example, sturdier vegetables like broccoli and carrots may benefit from the extra moisture to cook more quickly) until vegetables are crisp tender.  Remove vegetables from pan, set aside and repeat with remaining vegetables until all are stir fried.  Heat one additional tablespoon of oil.  Add ginger, garlic and green onions and stirring constantly, cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds to one minute).  Add shrimp and stir fry one additional minute.  Add remaining chicken broth and soy sauce and bring to a boil.  Add pasta and vegetables back into the pan and toss to coat until heated through.  Drizzle with remaining tablespoon of sesame oil and any additional soy sauce to taste.  Serve immediately.  Chop sticks optional.

"Make Shift" Mu Shu Pork with Broccoli Slaw

When I was growing up, we almost never ate out at restaurants (having five kids in the family makes dining out a bit of a challenge financially and logistically).  What we did do for special occasions, however, was get Asian takeout.  Although we usually got Vietnamese or Thai food, occasionally we would get Chinese and when we did, my mom especially loved to order mu shu pork.  It's a little unique, because it's one of the few dishes not served over rice.  Instead, you get to enjoy a tortilla-like pancake brushed with smoky-sweet plum or hoisin sauce and topped with a mixture of stir fried pork and vegetables.  Delicious!

A few nights back, I was trying to come up with something to use up a bag of broccoli slaw.  When Googling "Broccoli slaw," all that came up was recipes to make it into a salad (go figure).  Then, I remembered the mu shu pork of my childhood and felt inspired.  Although the recipe is far from authentic, it turned out so delicious that my four year old (who sat at the table crying for an hour the other night because he didn't want to try his broccoli cheese soup) even wanted the leftovers for lunch the next day!  To make things even easier, you can try substituting flour tortillas for the Mandarin pancakes (really, they don't take too much effort, give them a try!).

Make Shift Mu Shu Pork
serves 4
2 thick cut pork loin chops (about 3/4 pound), trimmed of fat at sliced into thin, bite-sized strips
3/4 cup your favorite bottled stir fry sauce (SoyVay or Trader Joe's Soy Yaki suggested)
2 eggs, well-beaten
salt and pepper
cooking spray
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
4 green onions, white and green parts, sliced
1 bag broccoli slaw (or substitute coleslaw mix)
 cup your favorite bottled stir fry sauce (SoyVay or Trader Joe's Soy Yaki suggested)
1/4 cup hoisin or plum sauce

Directions: If making your own pancakes (see recipe below), make ahead of time and warm just before serving.
Stir together strips of pork and 1/4 cup of stir fry sauce.  Set aside and allow to marinate for about 30 minutes.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat sprayed with cooking spray, scramble eggs seasoned with salt and pepperl.  Once cooked through, remove from the skillet and set aside.  Add 1/2 tablespoon oil and over medium-high heat, stir fry pork until no longer pink.  Remove pork and add to scrambled eggs.  Wipe out pan with a paper towel and add remaining oil.  Over medium high heat, stir fry garlic, ginger and green onions stirring frequently until fragrant and onions are softened (about 1 minute).  Add slaw mix and stir fry for an additional few minutes or until vegetables are beginning to soften but are still crisp-tender.  Add remaining stir fry sauce, scrambled eggs and pork back to the pan and cook just until heated through.

To serve, spread a small amount of hoisin sauce on pancake or tortilla, top with a couple spoonfuls of pork mixture and fold to eat like a soft taco.  It is helpful to fold the bottom part of the pancake up so the filling doesn't escape!   Also, it truly isn't "mu shu" without mushrooms, I didn't have any that night (and honestly, we didn't miss them).  If you're wanting to be more authentic, though, go ahead and add some sliced mushrooms (preferably a shitake or wood ear type) while stir frying the veggies.

Mandarin Mu Shu Pancakes (or can use flour tortillas)
makes 16 small pancakes
(from Cooking Light)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and water in a large bowl. Stir until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 3 minutes). Shape the dough into a 1 1/2-inch-thick log. Divide the dough into 16 equal portions. Roll each dough portion into a 6-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Brush 8 pancakes evenly with oil. Top each with one of the remaining pancakes, gently pressing together.
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place 1 pancake stack in pan, and cook 1 minute on each side or until slightly puffed. Remove from pan, and cool. Peel pancakes apart.

Pad Thai Time!

When we lived in Southern California a few years ago, Jay and I tried just about every Thai restaurant our meager dining out budget allowed. Even though there were plenty of tempting dishes on the menu, I was always hard pressed to try anything else besides Pad Thai, especially on a first visit to a place. Maybe it's silly, but it seemed like a really good measuring stick (we like to do the same thing with pizza places and compare pepperonis--even though I'd always prefer vegetarian, heaven help me if a pizza comes with canned mushrooms...ick! ick! ick!).

Anyway, I have come to realize that making Pad Thai really is easy and after attempting lots of recipes (some even have included ketchup--not so sure how traditional that is!), I think I've landed on a keeper. I have adapted my recipe from Mark Bittman's NY Times column "The Minimalist" along with one from "Everyday Food."

Oh, and this came together in just under 30 minutes! That's even faster than I can get to my nearest Thai restaurant!

Pad Thai:

serves four
8 oz. dried rice noodles (the fettucini width is my favorite)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

sauce: (*see note*)
4 tablespoons tamarind paste (check the Latin foods section)
1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla--found in Asian foods section)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce or a pinch of red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, thinly sliced (or 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion)
4 scallions sliced into 1" pieces, white and green parts divided
2 eggs, well beaten
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups bean sprouts, divided
lime wedges
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

thinly sliced meat or tofu, seasoned with salt and pepper or as desired (**see note**)

In a small sauce pan, combine tamarind paste, fish sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and chili garlic sauce. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, pour boiling water over rice noodles. Stir to separate and allow to soak until just softened, about 5-10 minutes (check them frequently, you want them very "al dente," otherwise they'll get mushy during stir frying--a mistake I've made all too often!). Drain off water and toss with one tablespoon of oil to keep them from sticking together.

Heat two teaspoons oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Stir fry shallots, garlic and white parts of scallions until onions are crisp tender and fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add beaten egg, season with salt and pepper. Scramble until just set. Remove eggs from pan and set aside.

Add remainder of oil to pan over high heat. Throw in softened noodles and pour sauce over top. Stir fry until noodles are heated through. Add cooked meat, egg mixture, two cups of bean sprouts and half of green scallion pieces. Stir to combine one last time. Divide into bowls and garnish with remaining bean sprouts and scallions, lime wedges, cilantro and crushed peanuts.
Serve immediately.

*A recipe I came across uses a sauce with extremely accessible ingredients. If you can't find tamarind paste and fish sauce, you can give this alternative a try:

2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
3 tablespoons soy sauce
about 1/8 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (Sriacha) or a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Whisk together ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Add to the noodles at the same step as the original sauce.


**Tonight, I used pork chops tonight and grilled them while I was stir frying the pad thai so that I didn't have another step of cooking in my wok. You can also stir fry the meat or shrimp in the same pan as the rest of your pad Thai. Just add a step in between scrambling the egg and stir frying the noodles. Also, most traditional in pad Thai is shrimp and tofu, but use whatever you please or leave meat out all together.