Chow Mein

This is a family classic and many of you will have your own variation of this simple and hearty recipe for Beef and Cabbage Chow Mein with Rice. Its a quick and cheap meal to make and is a good recipe to make in bulk to have for next day leftovers.

Ingredients:

For the Chow Mein

• 500g mince

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce

• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

• 1 teaspoon cornflower

• 1 cup rice, cooked

• 1/4 head cabbage, fine shredded

• 1 medium sweet potato, fine julienne

• 1 cup fine diced pumpkin (optional)

• 1 onion, thinly sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

- Salt and pepper to taste

- Fresh scallions, chopped for garnish

- Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the mice:

- In a bowl, mix the mince with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and cornstarch until well combined. Let it sit for about 15 minutes to marinate and absorb the flavors.

2. Cook the Rice:

- While the beef is marinating, cook the rice on the stove or rice cooker. Keep it warm.

3. Cook the meat:

- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the marinated mince and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

4. Sauté Vegetables:

- In the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil. Sauté the onion and garlic until aromatic, about 2 minutes.

- Add the sweet potato and pumpkin. Cook for about 5 minutes or until they begin to soften.

5. Combine Ingredients:

- Add the shredded cabbage to the pan along with extra soy sauce, oyster sauce, and hoisin sauce. Stir well and cook until the cabbage is wilted and the sweet potato and pumpkin are tender, about 5 more minutes.

6. Add Ground Beef Back:

- Return the cooked mince to the pan. Stir to combine all the ingredients thoroughly and heat through. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

7. Serving options:

- Spoon the beef and vegetable mixture over the warm cooked rice or combine all together. Garnish with chopped scallions and sesame seeds if desired.

Tips:

- Uniform Cooking: Ensure that the sweet potatoes and pumpkin are cut into similar sizes for even cooking.

- Adding Heat: If you like a bit of spice, consider adding a dash of chilli sauce, red pepper flakes or curry powder when cooking the vegetables.

- Sauce Adjustments: Adjust the amount of hoisin sauce if you prefer a sweeter flavour profile.

This version is quick and easy, perfect for a weeknight dinner. You can easily pack in more vegetable to make it an even healthier meal. Try some finely chopped broccoli, broccolini or cauliflower.