Chap Chae
Serves: 4
Difficulty:  Easy
Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time:  ~10 minutes

Korean food holds a special place in my heart. Try this noodle dish with or without tofu.

4 ounces cellophane noodles, soaked for 20 minutes covered in hot water
2 tablespoons oil
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 onion sliced
2 zucchini, cut into sticks
½ red bell pepper, sliced thinly
2-3 ounces shitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced
4 white mushrooms, sliced
1 ½ cups bean sprouts, washed and drained
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 scallions, finely sliced
salt and pepper, to taste

Optional marinade:
Blend together:
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
4 finely chopped scallions
1 clove crushed garlic
1 package firm tofu, cut into ½ inch cubes
Marinate tofu for ~10 minutes. Drain the tofu. Heat the oil in the wok and fry the tofu in wok prior to adding veggies. Add only one tablespoon of soy sauce when you would add the “soy sauce mixture” below.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. While the oil is heating, cook the noodles in boiling water for the duration of the recipe (~5 minutes). Add onions and carrots to the wok and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft. Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar in a small bowl with half of the sliced scallions. Add the rest of the vegetables to the wok and toss until just cooked. Optional – Drain the noodles and snip into short lengths. Add the noodles and the soy sauce mixture; toss well. Garnish with sliced scallions.

Notes
If you can’t find cellophane noodles, just cook up the veggies and serve over rice.
Substitute the shitake mushrooms with more white mushrooms if unavailable.
Try using ½ cucumber instead of 2 zucchini.
Canned bean sprouts are an acceptable substitution for fresh.
The scallions are completely optional.