Stir-Fried Udon with Vegetables

This is adapted from the vegetable udon saute recipe in Moosewoods Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites. Of course, I put my own spin on it and it is one of my long-standing favorites, probably because of all those shiitake mushrooms.

Stir-Fried Udon with Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp cooking wine
2 cups water

7 oz udon, or other thick pasta (I sometimes use whole grain linguine or fettuccine)

2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup cauliflower florets

Optional protein: gardein, tofu, seitan

1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tbsp cornstarch

Directions:

Simmer the dried mushrooms in the 2 cups of water with the soy sauce and the wine for 20 minutes, and set aside to let cool.

Start the water for the pasta, and cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and reserve the noodles.

Heat the sesame oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and let them begin to cook down for about 7 minutes. You want them to cook through. Then add the sliced garlic and the sliced ginger and heat those through for a minute before adding the peppers, carrot, broccoli and cauliflower. Take the shiitakes from the cooking liquid, remove any tough stems, slice them and add to the pan as well. Be sure to reserve the mushroom stock. Stir fry the veggies for 10 minutes or so, until they begin to soften up and heat through.

Move the veggies to the sides of the frying pan and add the optional protein. Stir-fry the tofu, seitan or meat-replacer until it is golden and cooked on all sides. Sprinkle the veggies and protein with the pepper, coriander, and cornstarch. Stir to coat everything in the cornstarch and spices, then add the reserved mushroom stock and cook until the sauce is starting to thicken. Taste and adjust the seasonings, I often add a 1/2 tsp salt or some more soy sauce at this point.

Finally, add the noodles and stir to coat. Serve hot.

For 6 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com calculated without the optional protein.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 195 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  173 Calories from Fat  23

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  2.5g 4%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  338mg 14%

Potassium  325mg 9%

Total Carbohydrates  31.7g 11%

Dietary Fiber  4.6g 18%

Sugars  3.5g

Protein  5.6g

Vitamin A 42% • Vitamin C 60% Calcium 4% • Iron 9%

Nutrition Grade C+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet