Our Veggie Kitchen

We're having some friends over for a kimchi making demonstration this evening, which is the excuse I've needed to finally write up the recipe.  I've been making batches every 2-3 months over the last couple of years.  I have a growing list of friends that get some... I end up giving about a third of each batch away.

This recipe is actually several individual recipes that you combine at the end.  The cabbage soaks for 8 or 9 hours, so be prepared to start early and make a day of it.  Make sure and start the broth and porridge steps early enough for them to cool completely.  Everything else I do after I start draining the cabbage.  This video from Seonkyoung Longest is an amazing tutorial

Kimchi is usually made with a lot of fish sauce and other fermented fishy ingredients.  I've done a couple of things to augment that.  First, I use a seaweed and shiitake broth.  This is my go to broth for most any Asian cuisine.  Second, I add doenjang.  Doenjang is the Korean version of Miso and, to me, it has a more fermented, deeper flavor.  You can use miso, but I really recommend doenjang, for everything really!  Finally, gochugaru is Korean red pepper flakes and are a must.  It is a little hot, a little smokey and a little fruity.  It is delicious on everything.

Vegan Kimchi

Cabbage:
3 large napa cabbages
3/4 cup coarse sea salt
24 cups cold water, mixed with 2 1/4 cups sea salt
Additional water as needed: 2 cups water mixed with 3 tbs salt

Porridge:
2 cups umami broth
1/4 cup mochi (sweet rice flour)

Kimchi Paste:
1 cup umami broth
6 tbs doenjang
1 tbs sugar
25 cloves garlic
2 tbs ginger
1/2 medium onion
1 fuji or gala apple
1-2 cups gochugaru, korean red pepper flakes (I use 1 1/2 cups)

Vegetables:
2 lbs korean radish or daikon
2 cups garlic chives
6-8  green onions

Cabbage (about 30 minutes + 8-9 hours soaking time):  Dissolve salt into water in a large basin.  Cut cabbages into quarters.  Wash quarters and shake them dry.  For each quarter, sprinkle salt on the thick part of each rib.  About 1 tbs salt per quarter.  Put quarters in salt water basin and leave to soak for 8-9 hours turning every hour or so, until you can bend back a rib without it snapping.

Porridge (about 5 minutes):  Stir mochi into broth and bring to a boil.  Boil for a  couple of minutes and remove from heat.  Cool completely.

Makes about 15 lbs (30 cups)

30 servings:  80 calories (1g fat, 17g carbs, 5g protein)

This actually started as out as a rescue meal at my monther-in-law's very rural home.  I had a jar of tomatoes, a can of olives, a head of cabbage and some soy curls.  We were hungry, probably not sober and dinner tasted so good.  When we got home, I played with the ingredients a little, balanced the sauce and it's become a staple.  I love that it's not dominated by too much pasta or a heavy sauce.  It's a perfect summer meal.  I usually double the sauce, make it ahead of time and freeze half.

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Add the red pepper flakes and garlic for a few seconds, until fragrant.  Add the the wine and let it mostly cook off.  Add the diced tomatoes and sun dried tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the diced tomatoes start to break up and the sauce thickens slightly.  Stir in the miso, thyme and lemon juice.  You can set aside the sauce off the stove, if necessary, or make it ahead of time.

Prepare the cabbage, onion, olive and soy curls.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat.  Add the pasta to the boiling water.  Cook for 8-10 minutes.  While the pasta is cooking, add oil to the pan.  Add the onion and saute until it begins to soften.  Add the cabbage, in handfuls until the cabbage is fully cooked.  It should be done close to the time that the pasta is done.  Combine the sauce, cabbage, soy curls and olives.  Cook until all ingredients are hot, only a minute or two.

5 Servings:  457 calories (20g fat, 53g carbs, 17g protein)

There's a story behind this name.  This is basically a vegetable & noodle dish in a mild curry sauce.  When I started cooking Thai food, my daughter turned her nose up to curry.  She did, however, love the noodle dishes I made and she loves yakisoba and lo mein.  So, initially, the name was meant to fool her.  And it worked.  Now she is older and wiser.  For some teenage reason, she doesn't like red curry but she still likes Thai Lo Mein.  She also likes "Thai Lo Mein-With-Rice-Instead-Of-Noodles."   The teenage brain is a marvelous thing!

Here are a couple of ingredient notes:

I usually use a mix of soy yogurt and coconut milk instead of all coconut milk.  This choice is purely driven by calories.  Coconut milk is almost completely saturated fat.  It's delicious!  If you are concerned about calories the soy yogurt/coconut milk mixture will give better results than lite coconut milk, which is watered down.  You're welcome to use all coconut milk as well.  Like I said, Delicious!

I have found two methods to successfully cook rice noodles.  The first and most successful is pan fry pre-soaked noodles.  This takes a little practice and requires a large pan, but gives better results because you have more control.  The second is to add presoaked noodles to boiling water, bring the noodles back to a boil and drain.  Again, this takes a little practice and the cook time varies depending on the thickness of the noodle, but is easier if you don't have a large saute pan or wok.  Watch 30 seconds of this video for a good demonstration of pan fried noodles.

Thai Lo Mein
1 small can coconut milk (5.5 oz)
2-3 tbs red curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen or homemade)
1 purple onion, sliced into thin half rings
4 oz shiitake mushrooms, cut into match sticks
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1/2 small head cabbage, cored & shredded
1/2 cup soy yogurt
1/4 cup Golden Mountain Sauce (or Maggi or Braggs or soy sauce)
1/4 - 3/4 cups water (for pan fried noodles)
14 oz dried rice noodles

Tofu:
1 lb extra firm tofu, drained
2 tbs Golden Mountain Sauce (or Maggi or Braggs or soy sauce)
1 lime wedge, juiced
1 tsp sesame oil

For the Tofu:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut the tofu into 6-8 cakes.  In a saucer, mix the Golden Mountain Sauce, lime juice and oil.  dip each side of each cake into the saucer and place on a baking sheet.  Cook for 35 minutes, turning after 20 minutes.  You can do this ahead of time and even refrigerate it.

For the Stir Fry:

Soak the noodles in a pot of warm water while you chop the vegetables.  The noodles will be ready for cooking when they pliable and not sticking to each other.  The will not feel cooked.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add the most of the coconut milk and let it reduce.  Sometimes the coconut cream will collect at the top and you can just use this.  Add the curry paste and saute until well combined.  Add the purple onion, mushrooms, carrot and cabbage.  Saute until the cabbage is soft.  Add the sliced peppers and saute for a couple minutes longer.

Push the vegetables to the sides of the pan as best you can.  Add the rest of the coconut milk, soy yogurt, golden mountain sauce, and a little water.  Stir until the yogurt is combined.  Add the noodles and stir/toss constantly, adding a little water at a time until the noodles are done.  The vegetables will get mixed in as you stir.  Remove from heat and serve.

5 Servings:  562 Calories (16g fat, 84g carbs, 23g protein)

I've been reading about Sri Lankan cuisine lately. I tried a couple recipes and finally decided to take the plunge and make something myself. This curry is a fusion of different influences. I wanted to use marinaded, fried tofu. I would be using a lot of oil to fry the tofu, so I used soy yogurt instead of coconut milk to save calories. I added coconut water to get a little of the coconut flavor and some sweetness. Finally, I added cabbage to the stir fry. The sweetness of the cabbage and the yogurt's tartness nicely complemented a very pungent curry powder. Sri Lankan food is traditionally very hot. This is not.



Marinade:
1 lb tofu, drained & sliced (4 or 5 slices)
1 1/2 cup soy yogurt
3 tbs Sri Lankan Curry Powder
1/2 tsp salt

Stir Fry:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp black mustard seed
1 onion, halved & sliced thin
1 lb large mushrooms, sliced thick
1/2 small cabbage (about 1 lb total), sliced
1-2 inches ginger, cut into thin batons
1/2 cup coconut water (or 1/4 cup apple juice & 1/4 cup water)

The day before, mix together the curry powder, soy yogurt & salt. Place the tofu slices in the marinade, making sure the top has a slurry of marinade. Leave in the refrigerator overnight, turning a couple of times.

Heat the oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Add a little more if it doesn't cover the pan. Scrape the yogurt off of the tofu slices and fry in the oil, turning once until both sides are browned. Remove the tofu, cut the slices into cubes and set aside (preferably in a warm oven).

In the same oil, add the mustard seed. When they begin to sizzle, add the onion and saute until soft. Add the mushroom and continue sauteing until the mushrooms have given off most of their moisture. Add the ginger batons, stir fry for a couple minutes, then add the cabbage. Saute just until the cabbage wilts.

Stir in the yogurt marinade, coconut water and the tofu. Bring just to a boil and simmer until the tofu is heated. Serve over rice or with naan, chapatis, etc.

4 Servings: 319 cal (19g fat, 16g carbs, 14g protein)

I had a staff meeting and a board meeting on a Monday this month. It was a unique opportunity to cook for my coworkers, as I had Sunday to prepare. I put together a spread of Greek Pesto Pasta Salad, Zucchini fritters, my favorite coleslaw and a chickpea, chard & sun dried tomato salad (needs some tweaking, but a definite future post).

Out of everything, the coleslaw was my favorite. This was one of those inspirations where I threw everything together as they sounded good and everything worked perfectly. With the cabbage & carrots, it has a pleasing contrast of color, the green onion is a perfect flavor complement and the dressing, spiked with a little vinegar and horseradish, topped everything off. Perfect. It was also great with the Sloppy Joes (pictured below).



Perfect Coleslaw
1 head cabbage, cored & shredded
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
1 bunch green onions
1 tsp salt
Dressing:
1/2 cup Vegenaise
3 tbs vegan sour cream
1 tbs prepared horseradish (read the label)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Core the cabbage and cut into thin shreds. Chop the shreds into 2-3 inch lengths. Peel and grate the carrots. Cut the celery stalks in to 2-3 inch lengths and cut into thin batons. Do the same with the green onions, including the stalks. Combine in a large bowl and toss with a tsp of salt.

Combine the dressing ingredients and stir thoroughly. Pour over the cabbage mixture and stir to combine. Let sit for at least half an hour, preferably longer, until some of the moisture has wicked out of the cabbage. It is best refrigerated overnight.

Makes about 8 cups.

8 Servings: 124 cal (10g fat, 6g carbs, 1g protein)

 A series of coincidences seemed align in my kitchen last week.  First, I've been working on this yogurt sauce and felt last time that had it perfected.  It's got a wonderful curry flavor and, after trying spinach, and curry leaves, I decided that mustard greens were the perfect fit.  Second, I just bought a bag of ajwain seed.  Ajwain adds an exotic flavor, a little similar to thyme, and I just love it with cabbage.  And, finally, I noticed that Manjula's monthly contest could be done with yogurt and cabbage, and there was only a week left.  So on Sunday afternoon, this dish was the outcome.  I don't normally deep fry, but this was special and fried koftas are always a treat.  And dinner was really good.



Cabbage Koftas in Yogurt Sauce
Cabbage Koftas:
1/2 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1/2 tsp ajwain seed (or thyme, cumin or a mix)
1 Serrano pepper, seeded & chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups shredded & chopped cabbage (1/2 small head)
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 large tomato, grated
1/2 cup cilantro, loosely packed, chopped
1 1/2 cups chickpea flour
Oil for frying
Yogurt Sauce:
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 tsp fenugreek seed
2 tsp mustard seed
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 tbs ginger
2 Serrano peppers, seeded & chopped
4 cups shredded & chopped mustard greens (3-4 ribs)
2 1/2 cups plain soy yogurt
1/3 cup almonds, ground
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp amchoor (or a squeeze of lemon juice)

For the Koftas: 
In a saute pan, over medium heat, add the oil.  Once heated, add the cumin and ajwain seeds.  Cook until they begin to pop, then add the Serrano and garlic.  Stir a couple times, then add the cabbage.  Saute, stirring often, until the cabbage has wilted and all liquid, if any, has cooked off.  Add to a large bowl, along with the chickpea flour, red onion, tomato and cilantro.  Knead the mixture to combine.  It should be moist, but should hold together.  If necessary, add a little more chickpea flour or a little water to adjust the texture.

Pour oil into a  pan for deep frying.  You should have a couple inches, enough to cover the koftas.  Bring the temperature to 350 degrees.  Wet your hands.  Take about a tablespoon of the mixture at a time and form into a ball.  You should have about 30 small balls.  In 2-3 batches, add the kofta to the oil and fry until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes.  Remove and drain.

For the Sauce:  
Heat the oil in a large saute pan, over medium-high heat.  Add the fenugreek and mustard seed and cook until they begin to pop.  Add the onion and saute, stirring often until the onion caramelizes and turns brown.  Add the garlic, Serrano peppers and ginger.  Cook until aromatic, about half a minute.  Add the mustard greens, a handful at a time, and continue to cook until they are wilted.  Stir in the ground almonds, turmeric, chili powder and amchoor, then stir in the soy yogurt.  Bring to a boil, stirring to incorporate the yogurt and add the koftas.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, adding water to the sauce, if necessary.

Serve over rice.

Substitution Notes:  Ajwain seed, to me, tastes like a cross between thyme and cumin.  You can use thyme, or a little more cumin as a substitute.  Amchoor is powdered green mango and imparts a tart flavor.  You can substitute lemon juice, if you wish.  Fenugreek adds a distinctive flavor to the sauce.  If at all possible, use fenugreek.  If you can't, you can substitute curry powder.

5 Servings:  528 cal (28g fat, 57g carbs, 18g protein)

I'm always looking for new ways to cook cabbage.  And today I added a cabbage & some mushrooms & tempeh to some coconut milk and red curry paste for a simple Thai curry.  And, in the process, I made a handy discovery.  A small can of coconut milk has 28 grams of fat.  It's creamy and delicious but it can quickly turn a healthy meal into an indulgence.  Well, today, I ran out, so I used a small can of coconut milk and a cup of SoDelicous Coconut Milk Beverage.  The result wasn't as creamy as pure coconut milk, but it was more than passable.  I will definitely explore this for future Thai meals.



Red Curry with Cabbage & Tempeh
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 onion, halved & sliced
3 red jalapeno peppers, seeded & julienned
1 head cabbage, cored & chopped
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 small can (5.5 oz) coconut milk
1 cup SoDelicous Coconut Milk Beverage. (or more coconut milk)
2 tbs red curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen)
1/4 cup Golden Mountain Sauce (or soy sauce)
4 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
12 oz tempeh, cubed

Whisk together the coconut milks, curry paste, Golden Mountain sauce, lime leaves and tempeh and set aside.  Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the peppers, cabbage and and onion.  Saute just until the cabbage begins to soften, then add the mushrooms.  Continue to saute until the onions are soft and the mushrooms have given off some of their liquid.  Stir in the coconut milk/tempeh mixture and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer until the cabbage is cooked through.  It's easy to overcook the cabbage, so be attentive.  It should be done in 15-20 minutes, depending on how long you sauteed it.  Serve with rice.

5 Servings:  327 cal (19g fat, 26g carbs, 21g protein)

I love cabbage and I feel that it is an underutilized staple in any kitchen. It's sweet. It's versatile. And it's cheap and a decend source of protein, iron and calcium--all those things that you can't possibly get in a vegan diet.

Anyway, someone commented on one of my other cabbage creations, that it reminded her of a childhood treat, Haluska. Haluska is a simple Hungarian meal of egg noodles, cabbage, sour cream, paprika and sometimes smoked sausage. I came up with a recipe that trimmed the calories quite a bit and it tasted really delicious. The paprika flavored and colored the dish nicely and it was surprisingly complementary with the cabbage.

I would make a couple changes next time. First, I used ribbon noodles because they are closer in appearance to egg noodles. Any pasta will do and eggless ribbon noodles are expensive and hard to find. Second, I would omit the Tofurkey and add a little salt in its place.



Haluska
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 tsp mustard seed
1 large sweet onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic
14 oz Tofurkey Kielbasa (optional)
1 head cabbage, shredded
1 tbs paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup Tofutti sour cream
1 1/2 cup soy milk
12 oz pasta (ribbon, fettuccine, etc)

Heat oil in a large saute pan set to medium high. Add the mustard seed and cook just until they begin to pop. Add the sweet onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and Tofurkey (if using) and saute for another couple minutes. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring frequently until it is wilted, until the firmness is to your liking. Then add the salt, pepper, sour cream, soy milk and paprika. Stir together and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the cooked pasta.

I added the pasta to boiling water just when the cabbage began to wilt, but the timing can vary depending on the pasta used and the firmness of the cabbage. I like mine soft, but with a bit of a bite.

With Kielbasa:
6 Servings: 603 cal (22g fat, 76g carbs, 31g protein)
Without Kielbasa:
5 Servings: 433 cal (17g fat, 81g carbs, 17g protein)

This is a family favorite. When all the families converge on my mom's house each summer, we will go through a couple bowls of this. This is my mom's creation and she doesn't measure much of anything and that's how this recipe should be. I make it mild, and two jalapenos won't add much heat. Also, my boy cherry picks the tomatoes, so I add a bunch in anticipation of that. If you can hold off the crowd, this is best the second day, or after it's sat out for a couple hours. It's also best served at room temperature.



Cabbage Salsa
1 head cabbage, chopped
1 tsp salt (more to taste)
1 red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 tomatoes, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & finely chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 limes, juiced
2 lemons, juiced

Chop the cabbage and put into a large serving bowl. Toss with the salt and set a side while you chop the remaining ingredients, or just let set for a few minutes. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, jalapenos and cilantro and toss to combine. Squeeze the lemons and limes and toss again. It's best if you let the salsa sit for a while to let the flavors mingle. It's also best served at room temperature.

6 Servings: 75 cal (0g fat, 18g carbs, 4g protein)

With a little planning, seitan can make for a delicious week-night meal. I pulled a couple of my beefy seitan roasts from the freezer and, after they had partially thawed, sliced. The slices can keep in the refrigerator for several days. I used the slices to make french dips. For the Au Jus, I used the sauce from my Mushroom Stroganoff recipe. Just whisk together 2 cups beef flavored broth, 1 tsp ground mustard, 1 tbs vegan Worcestershire sauce and salt & pepper to taste.

And nothing goes better with french dips, than a heaping pile of cabbage. I braised this cabbage in a little soy creamer for some added depth. It's easy, tasty and was perfectly messy piled on a hoagie roll with seitan.



Cream Braised Cabbage
1 Tbs vegetable oil
2 tsp mustard seed
1 sweet onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup soy creamer
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 head cabbage

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large saute pan. Add the mustard seed and cook until they pop, just a few seconds. Reduce the heat to medium and saute the onion until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, then add the cabbage, salt, pepper and creamer. Bring to a boil and simmer until the cabbage is cooked and the creamer has mostly boiled off. Squeeze the lemon over the cabbage and stir.

4 Servings: 146 cal (6g fat, 19g carbs, 4g protein)

If you like cabbage, you'll love this. Heck, judging by the feedback I got this weekend, if you don't like cabbage, you may love this anyway. Sabzi is just a vegetable side dish. And the flavor is nicely Indian. Mostly, it's sweet tasting cabbage with just an undercurrent of warming spice.


Cabbage Sabzi

1 medium head cabbage, shredded
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp mustard seed
1 onion, sliced into half-rings
2 tbs ginger, minced
4 cloves garlic
3 serrano peppers, slit down the sides
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large saute pan. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and cook until they pop, just a few seconds. Reduce the heat to medium and saute the onion until it begins to brown. Add the ginger, garlic and peppers. Cook until aromatic, then add the cabbage, turmeric, salt and water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the cabbage is cooked and the water has mostly boiled off. Remove the peppers if desired.

6 servings: 97 cal (5g fat, 13g carbs, 3g protein)

I like cabbage. It's one of those veggies that I always have in the fridge. I use it instead of lettuce on sandwiches or tacos and I like to sneak into mashed potatoes, stir fries, etc. It's sweet, versatile and adds great texture to your dish. It can be crunchy or soft, sometimes at the same time. It's also a good source of Fiber, Calcium, Iron and Vitamins A, C and many B Complex Vitamins.

Smothered cabbage cabbage cooked in bacon or pancetta and simmered until it's soft, nearly falling apart. I wanted to capture the earthiness of pancetta, so I opted to use some of the spices used to cure it; juniper berries, thyme and peppercorns. I added a few cloves for good measure. It wasn't as good as with the pancetta, but I did lick my plate and load up on seconds - and it was definitely better for the pig.



Smothered Cabbage
4 Tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1 head Savoy cabbage (2 lbs)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups vegetable broth (next time I'll use chicken flavored)
1 tsp brown sugar
Bouquet Garni
2 bay leaves
10 juniper berries, crushed
4 sprigs thyme
4 whole cloves
15 whole peppercorns

For the bouquet garni, wrap the whole spices in a piece of cheesecloth and tie up so they won't fall out while cooking. you may also use a spice bag.

For the cabbage, quarter the head, then slice the core off of each corner. Cut each quarter into ribbons, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide, and not necessarily uniform. basically, cut into wide shreds.

Melt the margarine in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until the edges begin to brown. Add the garlic, salt and cabbage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage has wilted. Add the vegetable broth and bouquet garni and bring to a boil. Partially cover the pan, reduce heat to low and simmer until the liquid has fully absorbed, about 45 minutes.

Remove the bouquet garni, stir in the brown sugar and season to taste. Depending on the broth you use, it is likely that you will want to stir in additional salt.

6 Servings: 127 cal (7g fat, 14g carbs, 4g protein)

My first vegetarian cookbook was the New Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen. The first recipe I made from that cookbook was something she called Gypsy Soup. It was a pretty simple chickpea soup, but it always seemed to hit the spot. This recipe is inspired by that soup. It's got a nice medley of flavors and textures and, once again, it really hit the spot.



Gypsy Rice
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cups cabbage, shredded (about 1/4 head)
15 oz can diced tomatoes
15 oz can chickpeas, drained
3 oz tomato paste (1/2 can)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp turmeric
3 shakes cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups white rice
3 cups water

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, cabbage, celery and garlic and cook until the cabbage has fully wilted and most of the liquid has been cooked off. Add the remaining ingredient and stir to combine, making sure the tomato paste is fully combined. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked.

5 Servings: 376 cal (4g fat, 75g cars, 10g protein)

I used to make lo mein by tossing the noodles with the veggies, as best I could, then tossing them again and pretending that the veggies didn't separate from the noodles EVERY TIME YOU TOUCH THE PAN.

It was a pet peeve.

After too much needless fretting, I discovered a solution. Cut the veggies into matchsticks so they are noodle-like. This means you have to focus on veggies that you can matchstick, but that leaves plenty to chose from. I've included onions, carrots, shredded cabbage, and broccoli. Cut the florets small and they don't clump too bad. If my neurotic brain can deal with it, I'm sure you'll be fine. The other advantage is, now you can cook everything at once and you've got a start-to-finish meal in under 20 minutes.



Vegetable Lo Mein
12 oz soba noodles (watch for eggs)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 tbs ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, cut into matchsticks
2 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
3 cups broccoli florets
1 cup beef flavored vegetable broth
3 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs dry sherry

While the pasta water is coming to a boil, heat oil in a separate pan. Saute garlic and ginger for about a minute, then toss with the other vegetables. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are done.

When the pasta water is boiling, add the soba noodles. Cook just until they soften. Drain. If the vegetables are close proceed with the recipe, otherwise plunge into cold water and reserve until needed. When the vegetables are nearly done, add the broth, soy sauce, sherry and noodles. Bring to a boil and simmer until the noodles are finished cooking.

4 servings: 527 cal (7g fat, 107g carbs, 20g protein)