The Spicy Spatula

One of my favorite things to eat is noodles, which is not to be confused with pasta which I do like a lot but not more than I love noodles, specifically Asian style noodles. I’ve made plenty of vegan noodle dishes whether you want some type of Ramen Noodle Salad, Hong Kong style noodles or a noodle fusion dish like Bulgogi Ramen Bolognese, so this should come as no secret to you.

But often I find it difficult to find Lo Mein noodles that don’t have egg in them or the one ingredient that often thwarts many vegan recipes: milk powder. But the Vitasia brand isn’t marketed as vegan but according to the ingredients list it is accidentally vegan, which I’m totally on board with.

Anyway I was so excited to find them that I grabbed two packages (Thank you, Lidl) and didn’t really come up with a plan for them. Enter one of my favorite foods, mushrooms. One thing you will almost always find in my fridge is a package of mushrooms. It could be white button but most often it’s crimini or pleurotus (what a cool name, right?) also known as oyster mushrooms. When the season hits I’ll go a little overboard with chanterelle mushrooms and if the price is right, King Oyster mushrooms.

But for today I wanted a simple vegan recipe for my lo mein noodles so I skipped vegan meat alternatives and let my veggie crisper provide this meal. If you’re looking for ways to make your vegan dinners without meat alternatives, take this one and shuffle around using different vegetables and spices.

What You’ll Need:

*Big pot (to submerge noodles in hot water)
*Small mixing bowl
*Cutting board
*Whisk
*Kitchen knife

Ingredients:

*Fresh ginger (minced or grated)
*Lo mein noodles
*Leek
*Onion
*Lime juice
*Hot water
*Oyster mushrooms
*Napa cabbage
*Garlic
*Vegan Soybean paste
*Soy sauce (I like to mix dark soy & mushroom soy)
*Scallions (sliced for garnish)
*Sesame seeds

Instructions:

*Put on a big pot of water and bring it to a boil. When it’s at a rolling boil, turn off heat and drop the noodles in. BUT FIRST read your package instructions just in case it’s different!
*Pre-heat oven to 175C/350F.

*Slice mushrooms lengthwise and toss with ground ginger, lemongrass powder, soy sauce, 5 spices, garlic granules and smoky paprika. Bake 15 to 20 minutes in the oven, keep warm.
*I made this an oil free vegan recipe (of course) but if you’re into oil, add it here over medium-high heat and add ginger and onion. Cook 3 to 5 minutes.

*Add leeks and cook another 3 to 5 minutes.
*Stir in garlic and napa cabbage for another 4 minutes and then add mushrooms to the skillet.
*In a small mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, soybean paste, lime juice and hot water until blended. Add to skillet and toss until coated. If you wanted to make this with more sauce, add a cornstarch-broth slurry.
*Garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds.

This is a quick and easy vegan dish perfect for any weeknight dinner. Since you don’t have to stand over stove for ages waiting for the mushrooms to cook, you can cut down on the cook time. With good prep work you can probably finish this in about 30 minutes.

And the next time you’re in a pinch, switch up the onions and cabbage for different variations, add in beans or a vegan meat alternative to make a totally different meal.

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