Vegetarian Chow Fun
A touch of brown sugar added to the salty black bean-garlic sauce is what gives this noodle stir-fry its unmistakable Chinese takeout flavor. The recipe for vegetarian chow fun works equally well with slices of sirloin steak or boneless, skinless chicken breast or even pork tenderloin.
Gallery
Recipe Summary
Nutrition Profile:
Ingredients
Directions
Tips
Notes: Look for dried wide rice noodles, sometimes called “Pad Thai noodles” or “straight-cut,” in the Asian-food section at most supermarkets and natural-foods stores. Annie Chun's brand now makes brown rice noodles that are becoming more widely available. We like to use them in place of regular rice noodles because they have 4 grams of fiber per serving versus 0 grams in noodles made with white rice.
Shao Hsing, or Shaoxing, is a seasoned rice wine. It is available in most Asian specialty markets and in the Asian section of some larger supermarkets.
Sherry, a type of fortified wine originally from southern Spain, is an acceptable substitute. Don't use the “cooking sherry” sold in many supermarkets--it can be surprisingly high in sodium. Instead, get dry sherry that's sold with other fortified wines at your wine or liquor store.
Black bean-garlic sauce, a savory, salty sauce used in Chinese cooking, is made from fermented black soybeans, garlic and rice wine. Find it in the Asian-foods section of most supermarkets or at Asian markets. Refrigerate for up to 1 year.
People with celiac disease or gluten-sensitivity should use soy sauces that are labeled "gluten-free," as soy sauce may contain wheat or other gluten-containing sweeteners and flavors.
Nutrition Facts
3 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat, 1 fat