Vegetable Lo Mein

I've been on the search for more vegetarian-based dinners and ran across this one in The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. Funny enough, my mother-in-law was making sweet and sour chicken the same night so we ended up combining forces and making a big Chinese-themed dinner. Everyone really liked this dish and said it tasted authentic, like something you'd get in a restaurant. Yay! I was also surprised at how fast it was to make - under 30 minutes.

VEGETABLE LO MEIN

• 12 ounces fresh Chinese egg noodles (I couldn't find these so I just used whole wheat spaghetti)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 10 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced 1/4-inch thick (I used a bag of frozen organic mushrooms)
• 1 small head Napa cabbage, sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and sliced thin
• 4 scallions, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon sliced ginger (I forgot to buy this so I used ground ginger)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro (optional)

Boil the noodles and cook them until they are slightly underdone. Drain the noodles, then rinse under cold water and drain again. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl and toss with sesame oil.

In a separate bowl, mix together the broth, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Set aside.

Heat the canola oil in a skillet over high until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cabbage and bell pepper. Cook until the cabbage is just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions, ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the noodles, soy sauce mixture, and cilantro to the pan. Stir to combine and cook until the noodles are heated through, about 1 minute.