Sesame Noodles

This meal was great for so many reasons: fast (since I was feeling a bit lazy), adaptable (I threw it any extra vegetables we happened to have in the fridge), delicious (it tasted a lot like chow mein), and healthy.  So really, what's not to like? Although I typically measure every single ingredient in a recipe, even I could handle throwing some ingredients together; it also helped that the end result tasted like I had planned it all along.

With any stir fry, it's really important to have all your ingredients prepped and at hand.  There's just not a lot of time between start to finish to prep any ingredients.  But even including the prep time, this is still can be on the table in 30 minutes.

Sesame Noodles
Serves 4
Feel free to use all kinds of vegetables - cabbage, bell peppers, snow peas, shelled edamame, mushroom, green onions, broccoli (pre-cooked), red onions, carrots, etc.

• 1/2 box of whole wheat spaghetti (approximately 6-8 ounces)
•  2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 2 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced (or pressed through a garlic press)
• fresh ginger, peeled and grated (I used about a 1/2 inch piece)
• 1/2-1 red bell pepper (chopped or cut julienne into thin strips)
• 1/2 -1 green bell pepper (chopped or cut julienne into thin strips)
• 1/2 small red onion, cut into thin strips
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 1/4 napa or red cabbage, cored and cut into thin strips
• Feel free to add/remove any vegetables
• sesame seeds
• crushed red pepper flakes

-Bring water to boil.
-As water heats, prep garlic, ginger and vegetables.
-Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to directions (continue prepping vegetables while the pasta cooks). Drain pasta.
-Heat a large skillet or wok to high heat.   When pan is very hot, add 2 Tbsp oil.
-Add garlic and ginger and stir.  Add vegetables immediately and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
-Add pasta to pot. Add soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar and toss to incorporate all the ingredients.
-Remove from heat and serve with sesame seeds and crushed red peppers.