Teriyaki Noodles

Ingredients

Teriyaki Sauce

¼ cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
¼ tsp toasted sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 inches fresh ginger, grated
pinch red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water

Noodles & Vegetables

1 lb. frozen stir fry vegetables
8 oz. soba noodles
1 Tbsp vegetable oil



Instructions

Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, toasted sesame oil, red pepper flakes, corn starch, and water to a bowl. Peel the ginger and then grate it straight into the bowl using a small holed cheese grater. If you don’t have a grater, you can mince the ginger. Mince the garlic and add it to the bowl as well. Stir to combine the ingredients.

Bring a medium pot of water up to a boil over high heat, add the noodles, and then continue to boil for 5-6 minutes, or until the noodles are tender. Drain the noodles in a colander.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the frozen vegetables. Stir and cook for only about 2 minutes, just to slightly heat the vegetables. Briefly stir the teriyaki sauce and then pour it into the skillet. Allow it to come up to a simmer, at which point it will thicken. The vegetables will finish heating through as this happens. Turn the heat off once the sauce is hot and thick.

Add the drained noodles to the skillet and stir until they are coated in the sauce. Divide the noodles between four bowls and then spoon any leftover vegetables from the skillet on top. Enjoy!

My changes:  I mix the sauce in the morning minus the cornstarch and let it sit in the fridge all day to allow the flavors to mingle, I'll add the cornstarch prior to pouring it into the pan.  I also add diced chicken when stir frying the veggies to round out this meal.  Before I stirfy the veggies (I buy prepackaged frozen stir fry veg), I allow them to thaw in the sink, just toss it in the sink when you get home from work, and use two bags.  This reduces the liquid in the pan and gets that true stir fried feel.  I also add water chestnuts (drained) and bamboo shoots (drained).  I'm not a fan of soba noodles since I've bought several packages from the Asian market that were infested with weevils so I just use spaghetti or linguini noodles instead and it works great.

Verdict:

This is a big time favorite in my family.  We like it spicy so I put the white pepper on the table with dinner and allow everyone to spice to their tastes.