30 minute “Faux” Mein Recipe

30 minute Lo mein recipe Joy Makin MamasWhen a friend need an extra pair of arms to get a new couch into her place on what might very well be the hottest, most disgusting day of the year so far, and your husband says “yes” to this extreme duty, asking only that you make him lo mein for dinner for afterward? Well, then, I guess you make that man some lo mein. I have limited experience with cooking Chinese dishes, and had never tried lo mein before. I looked up a few recipes, did some time calculations, and threw together this version that is probably not at all authentic but which was easy to prepare and made my husband happy. (He actually said it was better than the takeout version. That is probably no more a compliment to the restaurant chef than comparing my cooking to McDonald’s would be to me, so I won’t tell them, if you don’t.)

I made the lo mein itself vegetarian, and added cooked meat on the side. This is almost CERTAINLY not authentic, but it got two thumbs up and allowed me to do the beef the way we like it- which is medium rare. I made a second batch with chicken and just stir fried the chicken with a little oil and garlic. It was great on the side as well. When I did my tofu version, though, I added the stir fried tofu back to the pan when I added the sauce. I’d like to say that this is because I’m nothing if not inconsistent, but, truthfully, it’s just because tofu is always better when it’s had a chance to soak up sauce like a sponge- because that’s basically what it is.lo mein pan process shot joy makin mamas

My neighborhood grocery store had lo mein noodles in the ethnic food aisle, but I have definitely lived places where I could not get them. Feel free to substitute thin spaghetti. It won’t be quite the same, but it’ll be close enough. (After you add the sauce, you really won’t be tasting the noodle much.) I got my shredded carrots, my sliced mushrooms, and shredded cabbage pre-cut from the salad section of the produce area. So here, if you please, is my tasty “Faux” Mein that you can toss together quickly and with ingredients you don’t have to travel across continents to find. If you need a shortcut, cook the noodles and do all the prep work ahead of time, and just throw everything together at the stove. We also enjoyed this cold, as leftovers- so it will make a good day-after lunch option.

Print
lo mein recipe plated joy makin mamas

"Faux" Mein

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
Author Meghan Gray

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 3 Tablespoons sesame oil
  • 10 oz package lo mein noodles
  • 1 cup matchstick carrots
  • 1 cup shredded red cabbage
  • 1 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 6 oz package fresh snow peas sliced diagonally
  • 4 scallions sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic pressed
  • 2 " piece of ginger grated

Instructions

  1. Boil water and cook lo mein noodles according to package directions.
  2. Combine the teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, and white wine and set aside. Measure out the cornstarch, but don't add it to the sauce yet.
  3. Heat the oil over medium high heat in the bottom of a large skillet or wok.
  4. When the oil has begun to shimmer, add the scallions, mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, garlic, and ginger. Stir fry 3 minutes.
  5. Add the snow peas and stir fry 3 more minutes. Push the vegetables to the sides of the pan.
  6. Stir the cornstarch into the 2 Tablespoons water, and add to the sauce.
  7. Add the sauce to the pan and bring to a simmer, then stir in the vegetables.
  8. Add the lo mein noodles and stir to combine.
  9. Serve hot or cold.

Recipe Notes

If you're using stir fried tofu, add it to the pan right after you add the sauce.

The reason you're adding the cornstarch to the sauce right before you add it to the pan is so that it won't thicken too much, or have "lumps."

If you are serving this with meat, about one pound uncooked weight will do you.

lo mein recipe plated joy makin mamas

About Meghan G

I like blues, punk, and crime drama. I love having boys, keeping active, and the outdoors. I'm a cat person, but I think dogs should have equal opportunities.

View all posts by Meghan G →

11 Comments on “30 minute “Faux” Mein Recipe”

  1. Looks delicious and easy to make. I love making Asian inspired foods at home as they are much less expensive than ordering take out. I like to use glass noodles with vegetables in a stir fry. I’ve never tried using wine or cabbage in mine, I’ll have to try that, and your recipe out!

    1. Usually “real” recipes call for rice wine or other asian wines in the sauces, but fortunately my palate is not acute enough to taste a difference. Or if it is, it’s not educated enough to mind. 😉 Whatever dry white I have around is usually good for me.

  2. lol Meghan, “Faux” mein… where do you come up with this stuff haha!? Also, jealous of your pics, they always come out so awesome! I don’t know how you do it 😉 I may have to try some of this ‘faux’ mein… we also like our beef a little on the rare side!

    1. I take them outside to a shady spot on a bright sunny day. 🙂 I’m going to have to build some kind of indoor light box, though, since that’s a poor winter photo strategy!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *