Vegetable Yakisoba

Yakisoba is one of the easiest meals we know, tasty and highly nutritious, drawing its main components from Summer's bounty and most importantly, keeping you in the hot kitchen for only a minimum of minutes. A true one-dish meal for sweltering nights, Cafe Drake likes our stir-fried noodles with either plenty of ice-cold pale ale or a bottle of semi-dry Riesling.

VEGETABLE YAKISOBA

We're pretty much talking about a stir-fry here so there's loads of room for personal tweaking based upon what's in your fridge and pantry. Asparagus, sugar snap peas and mung bean sprouts for example all make great veggie substitutions or add-ons. If you can locate a bottle of yakisoba sauce from a nearby Asian supermarket, substitute that as desired for the combo of soy and Worcestershire sauces below.

Begin by cooking 1/2 lb. of noodles of your choice until just al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water and drain again in a colander. Set aside for a few minutes.

Heat 1 T. vegetable oil in medium skillet on medium heat.

Add 1 sliced carrot, 1 chopped onion, and 1 sliced green bell pepper in the skillet and stir-fry for a couple of minutes.

Add 1 cup shredded green or red cabbage in the skillet and stir-fry for a minute.

Add noodles to the skillet and pour 1/4 cup of water over the noodles and cover the skillet.

Turn down the heat to low and steam for a few minutes.

Remove the lid and add 3-4 T. of Worcestershire sauce and 1 T. soy sauce.

Stir well and serve warm, garnished if desired with chopped cilantro and/or toasted sesame oil or sesame seeds.