The temperatures are finally getting cooler here. The other morning it was 39 degrees even with the sun shining. Today we are starting the time of year with little to no sun. We are looking for comfort food and pasta does that for most of my family. I am not a fan of red sauce but give me a savory Asian brown sauce and I am so happy!

There really is a debate on the internet (imagine that!) about Lo Mein Noodles. Lo Mein noodles are made with wheat flour and eggs and can be purchased at most grocery stores. Some places use spaghetti, fettuccine or linguine noodles in their Lo Mein, much to the dismay of some patrons. If you don’t have Lo Mein noodles (as we did not) they are a decent substitute. We had Angel Hair pasta on hand so that is what we used in our Lo Mein.

Verdict:

This dish was a hit! It was simple to make and it was ingredients I had on hand. It had great flavor and the kids didn’t miss the meat because I used Quorn in place of the ground beef. You can use either but Quorn doesn’t have the extra grease so we added a bit of extra Sesame Oil to the “meat” when breaking it up in the pan. It has a great savory flavor and you can personalize it with whatever vegetables you like or have on hand. Bok choy, Nappa Cabbage or plain cabbage would also be great in this dish.

My mostly gluten-free son had his dish with gluten-free spaghetti. Just divide the dish into a 1/4 or 1/3 and toss with gluten-free spaghetti while tossing the rest with regular spaghetti if you wish.

Ingredients:

• 1 (12 oz) package of Quorn or 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 4 oz. baby carrots, cut into thin slices
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 Tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2-3 Tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 lb. spaghetti, angel hair pasta or low mein noodles

Sauce:

• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Molasses
• 3 Tablespoons Rice Wine vinegar
• 3 teaspoons sesame oil

Directions:

1. Add 2 Tablespoons to a large wok or skillet. Heat until warm over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onions, celery, sugar and additional 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil to pan. Stir fry until carrots have softened a bit and onions are beginning to turn translucent.
2. Begin making pasta according to package directions until just al dente.
3. Mix sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
4. Add meat (or Quorn) to wok and break into small pieces as it cooks.
5. When meat is finished add cooked pasta and sauce to the pan. Toss to coat and heat through.
6. Serve hot with soy sauce on the side if desired.