Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Kung Pao Noodles with Peanuts and Wok Fried Vegetables


This kung pao sauce is extremely delicious and flavourful, which is no surprise as it comes from my most favourite Rebar cookbook. As you can see in the photo, I used spaghetti for the noodles. Such a silly idea it was. You really need to use fresh Shanghai noodles (or really any fresh Asian noodles would be good) - or even rice. Also, I found there wasn't enough sauce to coat the vegetables and the noodles, so either double the sauce, or start with less noodles than the recipe suggests. I'm a sauce fiend so I'll definitely be making extra next time. Some pan fried tofu would also be a nice addition.


This photo is kind of dark but look at how Abby is holding onto the stick with her little paws!


If this sounds good, you might also like:
Broccoli Cashew Teriyaki Tofu Stir-Fry
Thai Chick-Un Pizza
Pad Thai
Tofu and Broccolini in Peanut Sauce

Kung Pao Noodles with Peanuts and Wok Fried Vegetables
Adapted from Rebar: Modern Food Cookbook

Kung Pao Sauce
2 tbsp minced ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp wine
2 tsp sesame oil
1 pod star anise
2 tsp sriracha (hot sauce)
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp cornstarch

Noodles and Vegetables
1 lb (450 g) fresh Shanghai noodles
2 tbsp oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 bunch broccoli (3 stalks), in florets
6 oz (180 g) snow peas, string and leave whole
5 carrots, 1/2" thick half moon slices
1 small can water chestnuts, drained
1 can baby corn, drained and sliced in half
1 bunch green onions, sliced into 1" lengths
4 tbsp roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1. Begin by making the sauce, which can be done several days in advance. Combine all of the ingredients, except cornstarch, in a pot and gently bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 tbsp water and whisk the slurry into the simmering sauce. Cook until mixture thickens slightly (10 minutes). Remove the star anise and set the sauce aside, or refrigerate, until ready to use.

2. Before beginning preparation of the vegetables, put a large pot of water on to boil the noodles.

3. Just before starting the stir-fry, begin cooking the noodles and have a colander ready in the sink for draining them. Heat the wok over high heat, swirl in the oil and add the onion. Fry, stirring constantly, until golden. Add the carrots and broccoli; stir-fry for 3 minutes. Then add the peas, baby corn, water chestnuts, green onions and the sauce. Stir well and cover until the vegetables are cooked but still crisp (about 5 minutes). Serve immediately over hot noodles and garnish with roasted nuts.

14 comments:

Kristin (Book Sniffers Anonymous) said...

I love kung pao. I have got to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing.

Hannah said...

Huh, I've never had "kung pao" sauce before.. But it sure sound delicious! Sweet and spicy and very flavorful... Gotta try it soon.

Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets said...

Mmm! Looks simple and delicious. Interesting seeing star anise in the ingredients. I don't often see that in noodles, but I bet it adds great flavor.

Anonymous said...

Looks yummy.
Abby looks so cute. Did she fall asleep holding her toy?

Jabba said...

We have had friends cook us meals from that cookbook but haven't tried it ourselves....this meal looks amazing!

andrea devon said...

this sauce sounds so good! i previously used sriracha sauce in all sorts of things, but somehow it disappeared from my kitchen (ditto for hoisin). time to stock up!

Joanne said...

That sauce sounds amazing! Moan.

Mel said...

This looks and sounds delicious! Hoisin isn't usually my preferred sauce although the other ingredients make me interested to try this. Cute pic of Abby too!

janet @ the taste space said...

This looks delicious, Ashley. Love the use of hoisin sauce. :)

Eileen said...

Oh, man. I always want a good peanut sauce, and this one looks great. So tasty...

Johanna GGG said...

sounds delicious - I never have hoisin sauce in my house - wonder how it would work without it or if there was a substitute I could use

I don't blame you for using spaghetti either - it is easy to have it always on hand dried but I find that asian noodles are best bought fresh and don't last long

eatme_delicious said...

Johanna GGG: Hmm I'm not sure what to replace the hoisin with since it's such a distinct flavour (to me anyway). Let me know if you do find something though!

Lauren said...

Thanks for the recipe! I made it last week, and it was great, although it did take me awhile (I am VERY slow!). The sauce was great and easy to make; I doubled the recipe like you said and have some extra that I will use for a smaller stir-fry tonight. What are some of your other favorite recipes from the Rebar cookbook?

eatme_delicious said...

Glad you enjoyed it! Hmmm other favourite Rebar recipes, that's hard to choose! One of my favourites is definitely the mac & cheese. Also the spaghettini all'arrabiata is really good. The tabbouleh, eggplant and tofu satay, squash and cheddar tart, bagel melts, Greek red lentil soup, curried chickpea soup, spring fettucine, bhangra burritos, carrot coconut cake. The only things I haven't been big fans of are the burgers, but I've loved everything else I've tried. I love the mushroom pecan one, but the falafel and black bean one didn't work out so well. Do you have the cookbook? What are your favourites?