REALLY GOOD!

                                    
Vegetable Lo Mein was one of the first dishes I ever made and that was just a few weeks ago. This not only tasted wonderful BUT looked just like the picture you see above (taken from a book called, All New Light Cooking by PIL Publications). I was very proud because, well, let me tell you where I started from just a short time ago: Before I retired, I knew absolutely nothing about cooking and I tried to take the initiative to warm up some soup for myself one evening. I understood the directions to say that I needed to put the soup in a pot and heat. That sounded easy enough! So, I put the can in a pot and turned on the heat. My wife came home from work and informed me that I was supposed to first remove the contents from the can BEFORE placing in the pot. Who knew? I am not a lot further along the cooking continuum right now but I did learn that lesson and successfully cooked the vegetable lo mein. I'm sure no one has done anything like that before.........but if you have, I'd love to hear it.

VEGETABLE LO MEIN     Makes 6 servings
8 ounces uncooked vermicelli or thin spaghetti, cooked and drained
3/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 cups sliced bok choy
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 cups shredded carrots
6 ounces firm tofu, drained and cubed
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup plum preserves  (not easy to find - plum jam will substitute)
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1)  Toss vermicelli with sesame oil in large bowl until well coated; set aside. Heat vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet or wok over medium heat. Stir in garlic and ginger; stir fry 10 seconds. Add bok choy and onions; stir-fry 3-4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add carrots and tofu; stir-fry 2-3 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender.

2)  Combine vinegar, preserves, water, soy sauce and red pepper flakes in small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until preserves are melted, stirring constantly. Combine noodles, vegetable mixture and sauce in large bowl; mix well.