If your kids are anything like mine, they'd be happy to eat pasta for dinner every night of the week. And while there's nothing inherently wrong with pasta, I try to give the kids a bit more variety in their diets. So instead of buttered noodles every night, sometimes I make Asian noodles instead. (That's variety, right?)
This is a fun dish because it's pasta, which kids know and love, but with a Chinese brown sauce and lots of crunchy veggies. Feel free to use whatever veg you have on hand; these are ones that are in my refrigerator right now and happen to be ones my kids will eat. The sauce is a little sweet and a little salty, so should please both the young and old at the table. Feel free to pass some chili sauce on the side amongst the grown-ups.
Vegetable and noodle stir-fry
Serves 6
3/4 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 pound dry linguine
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small head bok choy, sliced 1/2-inch thick, stems and
leaves separated
2 medium red bell peppers, sliced thin
8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin
1 bunch scallions, sliced thin
Salt and pepper
1. In a small bowl combine chicken stock, soy sauce, hoisin,
and cornstarch. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add
the linguine and cook according to the package directions.
2. In a large skillet heat the oil over medium high heat.
Add the bok choy stems and cook 2 minutes, or until just starting to soften.
Add the mushrooms and cook 2 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Add the
red peppers and cook 2 minutes, or until just beginning to soften. Add the bok
choy leaves and cook 2 minutes longer, or until all vegetables are tender. Add
the chicken stock mixture and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer, or until the sauce is
thickened. Add drained linguine and toss to combine. Add scallions and season
to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Photo: BBC Good Food
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