Vegetable Lo Mein
Last month I went back home to Princeton, NJ, to teach a cooking class with one of my health coaching clients and when I asked her if there were specific dishes she was interested in learning, she threw “vegetable lo mein” at me. Interestingly enough, it was a dish I had never experimented with in my own kitchen or considered making a recipe for. The result of the dish we created was so delicious that I decided it was too good not to share. As I left her house I promised her this would be an upcoming @freckledfoodie recipe and get some definite airtime on my page. We couldn’t keep it just to ourselves, after all. This gluten and dairy free dish is perfect for a family dinner, and a definite crowd pleaser for children. Plus, it is naturally vegetarian and vegan (sub the fish sauce), but an easy template to add any protein of your choice. Special shout out and thanks to my client for this one… you know who you are!
Once we made this dish I was immediately disappointed with myself in not making earlier because it was so delicious and also so incredibly easy. Similar to a stir-fry, this one just seemed to come together. As always with my “Do That Ish” mentality, this is a guideline for you to experiment and get comfortable in your kitchen, not a set of strict rules you must follow! I love cooking because it is an art and you’re able to experiment and have fun mixing ingredients, and this is the perfect recipe to demonstrate that. Don’t have or like broccoli? Remove it. Interested in adding some zucchini? Throw it in there. Truly, this recipe is so incredibly versatile and is the perfect meal to toss together when you’re going through a “fridge cleanout” stage (aka me every time I’m about to head out of town). With the flavor of the sauce and the staple of the noodles, any and all vegetables can be included. The kitchen is your oyster and we’re all just living in it!
**Lo Mein is a traditional dish that originated in China as a wheat flour dish. The concept of mixing water and flour to make noodles originated back in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD). Typically, noodles in the Chinese culture are served uncut as they symbolize a long and prosperous life. Because of this, they are a big part of celebrations like birthdays. The term “lo mein” comes from the Cantonese "lou mihn” which translates to “stirred noodles”.
For this one, I’m using bok choy, broccoli, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Cut up the vegetables into ¼ - ½ inch pieces and add them to a wok over high heat with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil, ginger powder, salt, pepper, and coconut aminos. In another pot, add water and, once boiling, add in the brown rice, or regular, pad thai noodles. While the pasta and the vegetables are cooking, make the sauce by combining the coconut aminos, almond butter, fish sauce, olive oil, toasted sesame oil, ginger powder, and salt and pepper. Once the noodles are finished, strain them and then run under cold water to stop them from continuing to cook. Set aside if they finish prior to the vegetables. Once the vegetables are finishing sautéing, add in the cooked noodles to the wok with the sautéed vegetables and the sauce. Mix all together and serve hot!
Vegetable Lo Mein
ingredients:
- Bok choy (1 head)
- Broccoli (1 head)
- Carrots (2)
- Celery (2 stalks)
- Bell pepper (1)
- Mushrooms (2 cups)
- Lime (1)
- Brown rice pad Thai noodles (1 package)
- Avocado oil (1 tablespoon)
- Almond butter (2 tablespoons)
- Coconut aminos (1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons)
- Fish sauce (dash)
- Olive oil (2 tablespoons)
- Toasted sesame oil (1 ½ teaspoons)
- Ginger powder (½ teaspoon)
- Salt
- Pepper
instructions:
How to cook Vegetable Lo Mein
- Bring a pot of water to boil and, once boiling, add in the brown rice pad Thai noodles. Cover the pot and cook on medium heat for around 7 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked through, and then strain the water and run the noodles under cold water. Set them aside
- While the noodles are cooking, chop the broccoli, bok choy, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and mushrooms into ¼ - ½ inch pieces
- In a skillet or wok, bring to medium/high heat and add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil
- Add all of the chopped vegetables into the skillet or wok and season with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon ginger powder, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon of coconut aminos or soy sauce
- Mix the vegetables together and allow to sauté for ~10-15 minutes so that they are slightly browned and cooked through
- Once the noodles are done cooking, strain, run them under cold water and set aside
- Make the sauce by mixing 2 tablespoons of almond butter, ¼ cup of coconut aminos, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 ½ teaspoons of toasted sesame oil, dash of fish sauce, the juice of ½ lime, ginger powder, and salt and pepper
- Add the noodles and the sauce to the wok with the sautéed vegetables and mix it all together for a minute or two
- Serve into bowls and enjoy hot
- Gluten Free
- Dairy Free
- Vegetarian
- Vegan (without fish sauce)
** after a lot of self-reflection and doing the work of Layla F Saad’s Me and White Supremacy (a book I highly recommend everyone reads) and Rachel Rickett’s Social Activism 101 & 102 courses, I realized the cultural appropriation that was occurring on my website when it came to recipes. I was modifying recipes deeply embedded in oppressed cultures without paying any respect to the history or original ingredients used. After realizing this, I went through and made changes to many of my recipes. This section is part of what was edited and included.