Vegetables with Noodles and Beef

I made this today for our first day of Chinese New Year celebration.  Rave reviews.  I'm still not 100 percent satisfied with it, so tweaks will still take place, but it is really good as is.  Tom declared "This is a GREAT way to start off the New Year!"  As a side note, the girls and I were making Chinese lanterns to hang (Tessa's idea).    As we were finishing Tess said, "I wonder if Estee has her lanterns made yet."  As if the rest of the world joins us in this tradition!  But it goes to show how much this tradition is loved by our family.  I love how it brings us together.  But enough rambling. . .here is the recipe:

Vegetables with Noodles and Beef

Make Sesame Salt:

Toast 2 TBSP sesame seeds.  Let cool.  Finely chop/crush the seeds.  (I use a nut chopper, but a mortar and pestle or spice grinder would also work.)  Add 1/4 tsp salt.  Set aside.

1 cup bean sprouts

1 cup matchstick-size carrots

1 medium onion, sliced thin lengthwise

1 cup green onions, chopped (about 1/4" pieces)

1 cup slightly chopped peanuts (I use party peanuts)

2 TBSP fresh ginger, chopped 

1 tsp minced garlic

8 ounces flank steak (or other steak)

2 tsp sugar

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp red pepper

2 TBSP soy sauce

Peanut oil

Bring 2 quarts water to boil in a large pan.  Add noodles, cook 2 minutes.  Drain and run cold water over them to stop cooking.  Return them to the pan.  Stir in 1/2 TBSP peanut oil and 1 TBSP soy sauce.  Stir to coat.  

In wok or frying pan, toast peanuts until slightly browned.  Remove them to the noodle pan.  Add 1 TBSP peanut oil and heat until hot.  Add carrots.  Cook until just starting to tenderize, then add onion (not the green ones).  Cook until just tender, at the very end, add the bean sprouts.  (You can add other veggies such as red pepper or celery or mushrooms.  Just cook everything until slightly tender.)  Add the veggies, including the green onions to the noodle pan.  Heat another TBSP of peanut oil.  Add garlic and ginger.  Stir fry for a few seconds then add the beef.  Cook until beef is cooked.  Add the beef to the noodle pan along with remaining ingredients.  Heat and add remaining ingredients (including the 1 remaining TBSP of soy sauce and Sesame salt.)  Serve immediately.

Possible tweaks:

Add a few dried red peppers (add to pan with garlic/ginger and cook with the meat).  A little more garlic would probably be good.  

Chinese Noodles--like unto Panda Express

The title is a bit misleading because getting noodles tasting a lot like Panda's is difficult because they are fried to give that distinct taste.  That is hard to replicate---at least with my cooking equipment.  But I finally have come with with something that tastes quite good and will only use half the dishes in your kitchen!

Chop veggies:
1-2 onions
2 cups-ish celery sliced thin
2 cups-ish shredded cabbage--regular or Napa
1/4 cup match stick sized carrots (cut quite skinny)
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
3 green onions

Use all or some of the veggies.  Chop and set aside.

Prepare and set aside:
1/2 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic

Mix sauce, set aside:
3 TBSP soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
shake of cayenne

Cook dried Chinese noodles (1-2 pkgs).  Make sure they are wheat based, not rice based.  I'm getting pickier with my Chinese food.  The ones from local grocery stores are not nearly as good as ones from an Asian market.  Cook in hot water for just a few minutes.  Drain in a colander and shake excess water.  Put in a bowl and pour 2-3 TBSP vegetable oil over them and stir well.  Then in small batches fry them in a hot frying pan for just a few minutes.  Transfer back to cooking pot to keep warm while you cook the veggies.  Add another TBSP of oil to the frying pan and heat until hot.  Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant (30 seconds or so).  Add veggies, starting with the harder ones first--carrots, then celery then onions.  Cook only until tender crisp and cabbage just starts to wilt.  Toss noodles with the sauce and add veggies.  Stir and heat slightly then serve.