Easy Chow Mein

Sometimes I over-buy veggies at the grocery store. Like, I put one of each in my cart… even though there’s only two of us (and a dog) at home. Needless to say, I don’t always use them up before they start to lose their crisp and fresh texture. Whenever I have too many not-perfect veggies on hand, my brain goes toward stir fry, frittatas, or a breakfast hash. Stir fry felt like the right move the other day.

I remembered we had packets of Chow Mein noodles somewhere in the back of our pantry, and I dove in to find them. 20 minutes later, we had this bomb meal, served up in one of my newest bowls, by our fire pit last night. It was a perfect scene and I could have cried from sheer joy. — Have I told you how much food and slow moments mean to me? Okay, stop what you’re doing and go make this.

Easy Chow Mein

For the base: (You can use any veggies you have on hand. This is what I had the night I made it.)

Carrots

Mushrooms

Onion

Green Pepper

Cucumber

3 eggs

Garlic

Salt and Pepper

Packet of Chow Mein or Lo Mein noodles (or honestly any egg-based noodle).

For the sauce:

Rice Vinegar

Any Neutral Oil

Soy Sauce

Fish Sauce

Honey

Sambal

Hoisin

Whole Orange

Ginger

Small amount of cornstarch (to thicken)

1. Slice up the veggies any way you like. — Long ways, short ways, square ways, any ways! — I saved the cucumber for a topping. ‘Cause cooked cucumber sounds kinda nasty tbh. Place the rest of the veggies in a skillet with oil at medium-high heat. They can all go in at the same time. Let these cook down for about 8 minutes.

2. While the veggies are cooking, add all the ingredients for the sauce into a mason jar. I like to use a 1:1 ratio for the oil and vinegar, and the other ingredients to taste. I love the brightness of fresh citrus, so I usually add the entire orange to my sauce. Put a lid on the jar and shake it until opaque and well mixed. Set aside.

3. Put a pot of water on to boil for the noodles. Follow instructions on the packet to cook until mostly softened. If you’re making noodles from scratch, I commend you on the effort. I bet it’ll make your dish 100x better.

4. By now, the veggies should be soft. Move them to the sides of the skillet and crack in 3 eggs (or whatever number sounds you’re in the mood to eat). Scramble them up, and mix together with the vegetables.

5. Add the noddles and sauce into the skillet, gently turning the mixture over with tongs as the sauce reduces.

6. Once everything is coated in sauce, serve in a large bowl. This, along with most other meals, tastes better outside, with company, and on homemade pottery. It’s science.