Yakisoba (with or without meats)

Ingredients

• 1 pound yakisoba noodles
  • Soba noodles, or any other buckwheat noodle, are an acceptable substitute
• 1 head Napa cabbage
  • (use regular cabbage only if you can't find Napa)
• 1 ginger root, or a jar of ginger paste
• 1 jar chili garlic paste (or Sriracha)
• Canola oil (or other neutral vegetable oil)
• Sesame oil (untoasted)
• 1 bottle yakisoba sauce (otafuku brand is generally tastiest)
• 2 white or yellow onions
• Mushrooms (shiitake taste better, brown is also OK)
• Choose your proteins. Options include, but are not limited to:
  • Extra-firm tofu
  • Fish cake
  • Chicken, beef, pork
  • Shellfish
  When in doubt, pretend you are making a stir-fry, and choose accordingly.
• Choose your vegetables. Options include, but are not limited to:
  • carrots
  • snow peas
  • broccoli
  When in doubt, pretend you are making a stir-fry, and choose accordingly.

Directions

Preparation

• Chop up the mushrooms and onions.
• Chop up the cabbage.
• Chop up the veggies. Keep root vegetables (like carrots) separate from other vegetables (like broccoli).
• Chop all protein (except fish cakes) into bite-size pieces.

Cooking

1. Start cooking the noodles, according to package directions (but cook for 10% less time). When they are finished cooking, drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
2. In a large skillet (or a wok), combine sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, and neutral oil (roughly 1 part each). Heat on medium and cook for 30 seconds to a minute.
3. Add mushrooms and onions. Add ginger and chili garlic sauce to taste. Cook mushrooms and onions for 10-15 minutes.
4. Add a small amount of chili garlic sauce. Add root vegetables. Cook 10-15 more minutes.
5. Add a little more chili garlic sauce and a little more ginger. Add proteins (and vegetables like peas-in-a-pod that take a little longer to cook). Splash yakisoba sauce over everything, cook 5-10 minutes or until the meat looks "nearly cooked".
6. Add more chili garlic sauce, ginger, and yakisoba sauce, to taste. Mix in noodles, "delicate" vegetables, and cabbage. Cook 1-2 more minutes.