Mongolian Spicy Stir Fried Noodles

I went to California a few years ago with my Aunt to visit family in Mountainview. The weather was nice, and the parks were lovely. While I did have a nice time, I would have to say the 4 major highlights of the trip were:

1- Walking through Muir Woods. Walking along those huge ancient giant trees it makes you wonder what they've been through and what they've seen, figuratively of course...trees don't have eyes.

2- Accidentally Off roading in a Nissan Maxima while trying to find Big Basin Redwood State Park, and finding out later we had been driving through the middle of it the whole time!

3- Spotting a handsome young man at a Starbucks on El Camino Real...only to meet him 3 years later at a Starbucks in NJ and 1 year later marrying him. :)

4- and of course The noodles at New Mongolian BBQ on Castro St. in Mountainview.

The noodles were delicious! It was lunch and a show. You would go in, pick what you wanted off the menu, or opt for the buffet style stir fry. We opted for the buffet, we made our way to where they had a large spread including numerous raw veggies, thinly sliced raw marinaded meats and seafood, a wide array of sauces to pick from, and at the end of it all oodles of cooked cold noodles! After you picked what you wanted, you headed to the front of the store where the chef stood in front of this huge round grill, with a large sword-like spatula. He'd take what you chose and cook it right in front of you. Truth be told, it took longer to pick from the buffet then to cook it!

I loaded mine up with Snow Peas, other veggies, sliced lamb, and a spicy, spicy sauce, yum!
This week, after the rain we had an abundance of Snow Peas. So I decided to make a version of those quick spicy noodles showcasing those snappy garden fresh Snow Peas. This is a great versatile recipe that can be veg or non-veg; it's completely up to you what to put in it. Use the recipe as a template for a tasty quick meal.

Here's my take on those Spicy Stir Fried Noodles:


Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Snow Peas
1 small Red Onion sliced
2 Carrots sliced
2 Celery Stalks sliced
1 Red Pepper sliced
1 tsp Garlic Ginger Paste
1 TBLSP Chili Oil
1 TBLSP Sesame Oil
1 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 TBLSP Hoisin Sauce
1-2 TBLSP Chili Sauce (like Sriracha)
1/4 cup Vegetable Stock
1/2 lb thinly sliced Lamb, Beef, or Pressed Tofu marinated
1/2 lb Thin Chinese Noodles (Also called Bird's Nest Noodles)

For the Marinade:
1 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Sesame Seed Oil
1 tsp Cornstarch
1 TBLSP Soy Sauce

Garnish: Sesame Seeds, Sliced Spring Onions

Prep Work: Cook the noodles and cool them in cold water immediately. Drain them and coat them with 1 TBLSP of Sesame Oil. Marinade your choice of protein (Lamb/ Beef/ Pressed Tofu) for 15 minutes.

1. Heat the Chili Oil in a round bottomed frying pan, or wok if you have one.
2. Add the Garlic Ginger Paste, Red Onions, Beef/Lamb/ Tofu and Carrots, quickly stir fry till protein is cooked.

3. Add Vegetable Stock, Soy Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Rice Wine Vinegar, and Chili Sauce to make a thin sauce. Then add veggies, stir to coat throughly.

4. Add cooked cold noodles, and stir throughly to coat and heat the noodles through.

5. Plate the noodles and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced Spring Onions.

 Tell me how you plan to customize your noodles!

Enjoy!