Hoisin Noodles with Veggies

Sunday I felt like doing something Oriental inspired for dinner  As usual I had round steak in the freezer so decided to use that and make some Teriyaki Beef (recipe coming).  I wanted to make a chow mein or low mein (I am not sure exactly what the difference is) type of side dish to go with the meat.  We were already planning to have deep-fried asparagus so I had the veggie covered.

I looked in my cookbooks and on the internet and couldn't find exactly what I wanted so I used bits and pieces from several recipes and came up with my own version.

Like most things of this type, lots of different ingredients could be added.  Water chestnuts come to mind.  I did not use them because hubby isn't that fond of them, and he was going to be eating leftovers from this for two nights.  This time of year, I would add some chopped asparagus if I was making it just for me to eat.  Chopped green beans and snow peas are other things I would probably add if I had them available.

I posted two DIY Hoisin Sauce recipes yesterday for those who might not have that available and wanted to make this.

I served this with the Teriyaki Beef, but any kind of chopped cooked meat or poultry would turn this into a main dish, so it is a good use for leftovers.

Hoisin Noodles with Veggies
8 oz. Chinese noodles or spaghetti
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into match-stick pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 red pepper, sliced horizontally
quarter of a small head of cabbage, thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced on the bias
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced or 1/2 t. dry ginger
2-3 T. vegetable oil
1/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth or water
1/4 c. hoisin sauce
2 T. low-sodium soy sauce

Heat water and cook Chinese noodles or spaghetti according to package directions.  Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.  Heat 2 T. oil in a large skillet until hot.  Add carrots,  onion, red pepper, cabbage and celery.  Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes until crisp-tender.  Remove vegetables and set aside.  Add another tablespoon of oil to skillet and heat.  Add spaghetti, garlic and ginger.  Cook, stirring,  for two to three minutes until spaghetti is lightly browned.  Return vegetables to skillet.  Combine chicken broth or water, hoisin sauce and soy sauce until well blended.  Pour over spaghetti and vegetables.  Heat and stir until liquid boils and is slightly thickened.  Transfer to a serving bowl.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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DIY Hoisin Sauce-The Battle

It is no secret that I am delighted when I find I can make a homemade version of a commercial product.  Several months ago I found a recipe for Hoisin Sauce in a microwave book.  The author indicated that the recipe had come from Recipezaar which is now Food.com.

I thought I would go check the recipe out on the site.  When I got there I found that there were two very different recipes for making Hoisin Sauce.  The one in the book which makes quite a bit and another one that made a smaller amount.

I decided to make both recipes and see if I liked one better than the other, and, of course, I had to make my own changes, too.  The results were mixed.  They were both easy to make and used ingredients that I keep on hand.   I didn’t really like one that more than the other one.  The shortcomings in both recipes were that, as written, neither of them had the thick, paste-like texture like the commercial Hoisin sauces I have purchased.  I have adjusted my recipes for that.

So, try them both.  If you need just a little Hoisin Sauce make the recipe the yields the smaller amount.  The recipe that makes the larger amount says that it keeps 2 weeks.  For longer storage, I don’t see why the sauce can not be frozen, so I would dollop recipe amounts out on a parchment paper-lined pan, flash freeze, and put the dollops in a freezer bag or container.

The first recipe uses black bean sauce or peanut butter.  I used peanut butter since I always have that on hand.  One recipe said 1 T., one recipe said 2 T.  I used 1 T.  I think that the peanut butter flavor may be a little too much with 2 T.

DIY Hoisin Sauce-small quantity
1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce
1-2 T. black bean paste or creamy peanut butter
1 T.  molasses, honey, or brown sugar, firmly packed (I used molasses)
2 t. unflavored rice wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or white vinegar (use use rice wine vinegar)
2 t. sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced or 1/4 t. garlic powder (I used the powder)
1/8 t. onion powder
2 t. cornstarch
20 drops hot sauce, preferably Chinese (I did not use this much)
1/8 t. black pepper

Combine soy sauce, peanut butter, molasses, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, onion powder in a glass measuring cup.  Microwave on high 30 seconds to melt peanut butter for easier mixing.  Beat with a wire whisk until well blended  and cool.  Stir in cornstarch, beating until well blended.  Microwave 30 seconds to 1 minute until mixture is thickened.  Stir well.  Add hot sauce and black pepper.  Makes about 1/3 cup.

DIY Hoisin Sauce-large quantity
1 c. beef broth (low sodium if possible)
1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 c. dry sherry
2 T. cornstarch
2 T.  molasses
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. tomato paste
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 t. ginger
black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a 1 qt. glass measuring cup or microwave-proof bowl.  Stir with a whisk to dissolve cornstarch.  Partially cover with plastic wrap.  Microwave on high 2 minutes.  Stir with a whisk.  Microwave 1 1/2 to 2 more minutes until thickened.  Stir again with a whisk until smooth.  Let cool and store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.  Ingredients may also be put in a small saucepan, and mixture cooked on the stove until boiling and thickened.  Makes about 2 cups.

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Hoisin Garlic Snack Mix

Happy New Year to all.  I hope that you had a wonderful Holiday season with family and friends.  May 2013 be the best year ever for you all.  Thank you for stopping by.

This is what I made to snack on New Year's Day.  I like to keep a snack mix around to munch on while watching TV.  Making up a snack mix is a good way to use up bits and pieces of cereals and crackers.

I usually just make up a mix of whatever cereal  and crackers I need to use up, add a cup of nuts, and a cup of potato sticks.  I most often use Corn, Rice, and Wheat Chex, Kix, Cheerios and small wheat,  cheese or oyster crackers.  It doesn’t make much difference what the proportions are as along as the total makes around 9-10 cups including the nuts and potato sticks.  Small pretzels can certainly be added.  I am not a fan of pretzels so don’t use them.

For this particular mix, I looked in my refrigerator to see what I might have on hand that I could use to flavor the mix and spied a bottle of Soy Vay Honey Garlic Sauce.  Since the original Chex Mix recipe uses Worcestershire sauce, I figured that it would be OK to use some other type of sauce.  I'm sure that Kikkoman's Teriyaki Baste and Glaze would work also and plan to try that one soon.

Honey Garlic Snack Mix
7-8 c. assorted cereals such as Chex, Kix, Cheerios and small crackers
1 c. any nuts
1 c. potato sticks or small pretzels
1/4 c butter melted
1/4 c. Soy Vay Hoisin Garlic Sauce
1/3 c. Soy Vay  Hoisin Garlic Sauce

Combine cereals, crackers, nuts and potato sticks or pretzels together in a very large bowl.  Combine the melted butter and the 1/4 c. Hoisin Garlic Sauce.  Pour over the cereal/cracker mixture and mix to blend well.  Pour out into a large roaster pan.  Bake at 275 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.  After 45 minutes pour the 1/3 c. Hoisin Garlic Sauce over the cereal/cracker mixture and mix well.  Bake another 15 to 20 minutes until the cereal and crackers are lightly glazed.  Makes about 9 to 10 cups mix.

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