The greasy, mushy, bland memories of vegetable Lo Meins past haunt me. Therefore, Lo Mein is definitely the last thing I would ever order at a Chinese restaurant, no matter how many people swear it's really good here/there. But in my own kitchen, it's a different story. I get to be in charge, so no buckets of oil, over cooked noodles or red bell peppers in sight! (You can add red peppers if you really want, just don't invite me over for dinner that night.)
Feel free to really make this your own. Add your favorite vegetables, experiment with different kinds of noodles, switch out the tofu for seitan, or leave out both completely. In conclusion, go nuts! Oooh, yeah, nuts, you could add cashews!
Ingredients
feeds two
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 inch ginger root, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 block extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into chunks
2 cups chopped mixed vegetables of your choice (I like to use zucchini, carrots, broccoli, bok choy and baby spinach)
2 portions of long noodles (soba, udon, rice, glass or whatever you choose!)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
pinch cayenne
handful chopped scallions and snow peas
lime juice, to taste
Method
First, cook noodles al dente, according to the packet's directions. Drain and set aside.
Then, in a large pan or wok, heat oil and saute mixed vegetables for 3 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and saute for one minute. Add tofu and saute for another three minutes. Add drained noodles and gently toss to incorporate all ingredients. Add soy sauce, vinegar and cayenne. Toss again. Let noodles heat through for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep gently tossing so nothing sticks to the pan.
Garnish with scallions, snow peas and lime. Serve immediately.