Yakisoba

Last Year's Post:Chicken with Lemon Pomegranate Sauce and Pistachio Rice
Two Years Ago:  Baked Pumpkin Spice Granola

Yakisoba is a Japanese dish that reminds me of fried rice because it's a great way to use up leftover bit of meats and vegetables.  At its most basic, the dish is made up of noodles, veggies, and sauce.  After that, the specifics are up to you:  pork, chicken, or vegetarian versions are all good, and the vegetables can be whatever you want although cabbage, carrots and onions are common.  I added a little caramelized broccoli for crunch and nutrition but that's just me.

The sauce is a little peculiar - ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and a touch of hot sauce - but somehow it works.  Yakisoba sauce is traditionally slightly spicy and slightly sweet but the sweet part didn't appeal to me so I left out the mirin or sugar.  Again, that's up to you.  Just go easy on the hot sauce until you taste the overall result - you can always add more at the table.  I read something online that leads me to believe the combination of ketchup and Worcestershire is a substitution that's made to approximate the taste of Japanese Tonkatsu sauce, which you likely won't find anywhere except an Asian market and which virtually no one has at home (except me, I'm sort of embarrassed to say).  Even though I had a big bottle of Tonkatsu in my refrigerator I made the recipe as written to be sure I understood the flavors, which were excellent.

Be sure to use a Dutch oven to stir-fry everything because you start with a giant pile of veggies (they cook down a lot) and end with piling the noodles in there too.  Even a large saute pan is too small, as I discovered the hard way.  (Envision cabbage, carrots and onions all over the cooktop.)  Note the switch from the saute pan to the Dutch oven below.

You want to saute the veggies until they've wilted and started to soften, but still retain some crunch.  Speaking of, I've discovered the bags of shredded carrots in the store are perfect for salads and stir-frys because they're shredded to just the right size.

A couple of other tips:  it's easier and more thorough to wash cabbage after you slice it, then just spin it dry in a salad spinner.  Same thing applies to leeks.  The second tip is to peel and shred (or thinly slice) broccoli stems for your stir frys rather than throwing the stems away.  A regular peeler and a shredding peeler are perfect for the task.

Yakisoba isn't fancy, but it's fast, delicious and a great way to use up leftovers.  And it makes a great lunch the next day.

Yakisoba

Serves 4

2 pork chops or 1 chicken breast, thinly sliced (or 1-2 cups cooked pork or chicken), optional

1 stalk of broccoli, florets cut off and stem peeled and shredded

1 small head Napa cabbage, sliced

2 medium carrots, grated (or ½ of a 10-oz bag of shredded carrots)

1 small yellow onion, sliced

2 tablespoons minced ginger

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 (3 oz) packages ramen noodles (seasoning packages discarded)

1 tsp sesame oil

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon sriracha or other hot sauce, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons mirin, or a bit of sugar (optional)

Heat a large pot of water to boiling for the noodles.  When boiling, add the noodles and cook just until tender, 2-3 minutes.  Drain thoroughly and toss with 1 teaspoon sesame oil to avoid sticking.  Set aside.

In the meantime, put the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the ginger and sauté, stirring, for 30 seconds.  If your pork or chicken is raw, add it now and sauté for 3-5 minutes until cooked through.  (If your meat is already cooked, it will be added later.) Remove the cooked meat from the pan.  Add broccoli florets and allow to brown for 1-2 minutes, then add the remainder of the vegetables (cabbage, carrots, onion and shredded broccoli stem).  Stir and cook until wilted, add a few drops of water as needed to prevent sticking, 5-10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and sriracha sauce.  Taste and adjust with additional hot sauce or the mirin or sugar for a slight sweetness as desired.

When the vegetables are wilted, add the meat and sauce to the pot and stir well.  Add the noodles and stir to coat with sauce, allowing the noodles to cook in the sauce for a minute until the sauce is mostly absorbed.

Serve with additional hot sauce on the side. 

Chicken and Caramelized Broccoli Ramen

 
 Last Year's Post: Tomato Soup and grilled Cheese - All Grown Up
Two Years Ago:   Greek Shrimp and Orzo

Ramen make a great base for any number of different noodle bowls - I particularly like them with leftovers as a clear-out-the-refrigerator dinner.  Garnished with soy sauce or sriracha, they're an easy and interesting way to use up bits and pieces.  Here's another idea for ramen, this time served with deeply caramelized broccoli, tender chicken and savory mushrooms in a sour cream-based sauce.  It's very flavorful and the caramelized broccoli lends a nutty flavor.  Everything (except the noodles) is cooked in the same pan which streamlines clean-up too.

The key to caramelizing broccoli is to cut each floret in half, so they have a flat side.  They're placed flat-side-down in the pan for even browning, then covered and steamed until tender.  The mushrooms are browned after the broccoli is done, then finally the chicken and onions are cooked.  Everything is stirred together with the noodles, sour cream and spice mix for a very easy and very tasty dish.

printable recipe

Chicken and Caramelized Broccoli Ramen

Serves 2-3

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

8 ounces broccoli florets (about 1 crown)

½ cup water

8 ounces fresh button, shiitake or cremini mushrooms, sliced

6 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 3-ounce packages of chicken-flavored ramen noodles

8 ounces light sour cream

In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil.  Add the noodles (reserving the seasoning packets) and boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Drain.

Meanwhile, cut each of the broccoli florets in half lengthwise.  To a large frying pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the broccoli pieces, cut side down.  Cook until richly browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes, checking occasionally for brownness.  Add the water, cover and turn to medium-low.  Cook until the broccoli is just tender and the water has almost evaporated, about 6-7 minutes.  Remove the broccoli and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and return to medium heat.  Add the mushrooms in a single layer and cook until tender and lightly golden, 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove the mushrooms and set aside.

Add the third tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and set over medium heat.  Add the onions and sauté for one minute, then add the chicken pieces and sauté until lightly browned and cooked through.

Mix the sour cream with the two reserved seasoning packets.  Toss noodles with the mixture, then add the broccoli, mushrooms, onion and chicken.  Let the mixture rest for a few minutes to blend and absorb, then toss again and serve.