As I have mentioned before, I love Chinese take out, so of course I wanted to learn to make my own. I’ve already made dumplings, which are my favorite, so I decided to make The Russian’s favorite: shrimp and beef Lo Mein.  As usual, this is easy for my lazy butt to make and cheap as well.  Give it a try!

Ingredients:

1 package stir fry beef [$4]

1 small package shrimp [$5]

1 head cabbage [$1]

1 small box mushrooms, sliced [$2]

1 package spaghetti, which I already had on hand, or a package usually runs less than a buck.

scallions [$1.50]

garlic (same as spaghetti)

soy sauce, oyster sauce, and Siracha, plus a touch of Hoisin.  If buying all the sauces new, they can run about $3 a bottle, but most Asian food enthusiasts such as myself have most of this stuff on hand.

Chicken broth [$1]

Directions:

Make the pasta according to the package directions.  Meantime, heat veg oil in a pan over medium heat and add steak and cook til done, about 3 min per side. Put steak on a plate on the side and add shrimp to the pan, cooking until done as well, about 2 min per side. Place on the plate with the beef.

Add a little more oil to the pan and add the mushrooms for about 3 minutes and then add the cabbage, thinly sliced.  Let cook with some grated ginger if you have it and garlic.

In the meantime, whisk together soy sauce, chicken broth, hoisin, and siracha to taste.  I don’t like to say how much to do because everybody’s tastes are different, but I put about half a can of broth in, and healthy amount of soy, oyster, and hoisin, and a touch of siracha for a little heat. It’s you call. I also like to add a little corn starch to bring the sauce together.

After the mushrooms and cabbage start to wilt, add the shrimp, beef, and any juices back to the pan with the sauce. Let the flavors meld while you drain the pasta.  Add the meat and veggies to the pasta and mix well to combine the flavors.  Serve with chopped cilantro, if you have any.

-L