Make It Tonight: Vegetarian Glass Noodle Stirfry

Posted by Lesli

I need a new wok.

I broke my old one a few months ago and retired it. I have been using my largest pot, but it just doesn't feel right. The wok made me feel like I was creating something Asian and exciting, the pot just kind of feels like I'm cooking a stew - but with bean sprouts, cabbage and sesame oil...

The reason I retired my wok is because it had teflon coating and the coating was starting to come off - YIKES! DO NOT USE TEFLON COOKWARE THAT IS PEELING, FLAKING OR MELTING! I don't care what DuPont says, eating plastic is not good for you...!

So, next time I get a wok, I'm going to go for some sort of metal one that I can season, and I'll never have to worry about flaking plastic again.

Despite my lack of cultural cookware, I can and I did, whip up a stirfry that was worthy of coming out of a wok. I paired the stirfry with glass noodles. Did you know glass noodles, otherwise known as vermicelli, (found in the Asian foods section of your grocery store) are made from green beans, broad beans, peas and water? They are a rather wimpy noodle, but 2 cups supply you with 10% of your daily iron requirement. Who knew?

Remember, with a stirfry you have the freedom to adjust the type of veggies that you are cooking with. If you don't like green beans, add carrots. Usually you use a cabbage as a base. There's many types of cabbages available - green, savoy, bok choy...

Vegetarian Stirfry

1 T. oil
1 c. onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves
1 c. green beans
4 c. cabbage, sliced
2 c. mushrooms, sliced
1 c. bean sprouts

Sauce:

1 c. chicken broth
2 t. soy sauce
1 tsp. dried ginger
1 T. cornstarch
1 tsp. sesame oil

1. Prepare vegetables before you turn on the stove.
2. Add oil to your wok (or pot!)
3. Add onions and garlic, cook for 2 minutes, add the cabbage, green beans, mushrooms and then sprouts. Stir thoroughly.
4. Mix sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Add to stirfry, Mix thoroughly.
5. At some point boil water and pour over the glass noodles to rehydrate them. Let them sit for 5-10 minutes, or until desired doneness is achieved. Drain and serve alongside, or mixed into the stirfried vegetables.
6. Top with black sesame seeds and/or chili garlic sauce - if you dare!

Happy Cooking!

- Lesli

TAGS: Asian, Cabbage, Chili Garlic Sauce, Cooking, Cookware, Cultural, Plastic, Pot, Stirfry, Wok
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