Beef and Mushroom Lo Mein
Total time: 30 minutes
One of the tenants of most Asian cuisines is that the food should be attractive: pleasing to the eye as well as the palate. One way to achieve this is to make certain that your ingredients are colorful; another is to cut the ingredients into varied shapes. This Lo Mein is as delicious as it is pretty.
Ingredients:
- 10oz (300gr) beef flank steak or any beef suitable for stir-frying
- 1 leek
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 green bell pepper
- 1 tbs minced ginger substitute 1/2 tsp powdered
- 1 rib celery
- 1 medium carrot
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms
- 4oz (120gr) spaghetti for spaghetti, about 1" (2.5cm) circle
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) beef stock
- 2 tbs sherry
- 1 tbs cornstarch (corn flour, Maizena) dissolved in
- 1 tbs soy sauce plus 1 tbs water
Instructions:
- Cook pasta according to package instructions.
- While pasta water heats:
- Cut the beef at an angle across the grain into bite-size strips.
- Mix sesame oil with 1 tsp soy sauce. Toss with beef and set aside to marinate.
- Clean and thinly slice leeks.
- Mince garlic.
- Mince ginger (peel first).
- Cut the pepper into matchsticks.
- Slice the celery thinly, at an angle.
- Slice carrot into thin rounds.
- Clean and thickly slice the mushrooms.
- When water boils, cook pasta
- While pasta cooks:
- Heat 1 tsp olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add mushrooms and sauté 3 - 5 minutes, until they start to brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Add 1/2 tsp oil and leeks to skillet, stir-fry for 3 minutes.
- Add garlic and ginger, stir-fry another 2 minutes.
- Remove leeks/garlic to plate with mushrooms.
- Add 1/2 tsp oil, carrot, pepper, celery to skillet and stir-fry 3 minutes.
- Remove to plate with other vegetables.
- Add beef to skillet and stir-fry 3 minutes, until brown.
- Return vegetables to skillet.
- Add stock and sherry.
- Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 3 - 4 minutes.
- To finish:
- Drain pasta.
- Dissolve cornstarch in soy sauce.
- Uncover skillet and add cornstarch mixture, stirring until thickened.
- Put pasta into a large bowl.
- Pour beef mixture over top, toss to combine and serve.