Asian Inspired Beef Vegetable Noodles
This is a great way to incorporate a lot of the miscellaneous items that are taking up residence in your vegetable drawer. I am sort of making up amounts, because I am too lazy to measure anything, and always adjust the flavor to taste in the end, so keep that in mind and consider looking up specific recipes for marinades and dressings if that sort of cavalier cooking makes you uncomfortable.
Preparation
This marinade recipe looked like it would have good results: http://www.justataste.com/best-asian-flank-steak-marinade-recipe/
For Meat:
1/2c. Soy sauce
1/2c. Rice wine or cooking wine
1 flank steak (ours from Rain Crow Ranch vary, but tend to be about a pound)
Pan fry, grill or broil the flank steak until charred, but not quite cooked through. When cool enough, slice thinly against the grain. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat with a little oil and toss in the meat, along with a few tablespoons of the marinade and cook for a minute or so. Set aside in a large bowl.
Cook one pound of long noodles and toss with 1/2 t. sesame oil, 1 T. olive oil and 1T. soy sauce. Add a sprinkle of hot flaked pepper if desired. Add to meat.
For Vegetable Stir Fry
This is where you get to empty the contents of the fridge. I’m only putting here what was available in my vegetable drawer. Feel free to add in whatever you have, adding at appropriate times to avoid overcooking and preserve textures. Chop and slice all the ingredients to your favorite bite sized shapes. Use part or all of the share–whatever you have, really.
Carrots
Fennel
Broccoli or Cauliflower
Green Onions
Garlic
Greens (kale, escarole/chicory/radicchio )
Mushrooms
Yummy Sauce
1/4 c. Soy sauce
1/4c. Rice Vinegar
1-2 T. Garlic Chili Paste (available at Asian grocery)
1T. sugar or honey
2T. hot water
Mix hot water and sugar together and stir to dissolve. Add remaining ingredients and stir well.
Saute carrots, garlic, green onion and fennel until it begins to soften, about five minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to cook for several minutes.
Add yummy sauce, and maybe a little more of the delicious Shiitake soy mushroom sauce to taste. All the veggies should be cooked to perfection at this point.
Add in any greens and stir well, just allowing them to wilt. Add to the large bowl of noodles and beef and toss well.
Serve over a bed of lettuce (with more of the bitter chicory like radicchio, if you have it. Top with chopped cilantro, Thai basil and toasted peanuts. Eat with chop sticks–it makes it taste better.
