The Leftover Goddess: Korean BBQ Stir-Fry

Straight off: the only thing Korean about this stir-fry is the sauce. But sometimes, that's all you need for inspiration. I was picking up bread at the store and came across bottles of Korean BBQ sauce on sale, and to be honest, for someone like me who loves to make absolutely everything from scratch, it was quite a stretch to purchase it- a risk, a hoot! I am kidding a tiny bit here- but it did feel like the unhealthy decision to make. However, it still felt like a helpful one for busy nights. Also, if you consider chopping your ingredients in advance (ingredient prep ftw), at least you will serve the sauce with fresh vegetables- a carrot in a sweet sauce is still a carrot right?! Now. I had leftover chicken (for René's bowl), tons of veggies and Chow Mein noodles. What could go wrong? Nothing. No traumatic story follows this question.

Below is one example out of countless options available when you have a new sauce, a few vegetables and a tiny bit of imagination! Oh and a napping baby. Onions are no fun to chop around a cutie pie.

You will need (or end up with),

Edamame (3/4 cup)

Chow Mein noodles (6 cups- they shrink and take up a ton of space in the bag before cooking!)

Carrots (2, shredded- and I thinly sliced the ends that I couldn't shred anymore)

Scallions (5-6, thinly sliced)

Red onion (1/2, or like my situation, 3 mini ones!?)

Garlic (4 cloves, minced)

Soy sauce (2 tbsp)

Sesame oil (galore)

Ginger powder (1 tbsp)

Korean BBQ sauce (3 generous tbsp)

Sesame seeds (for garnish, a pinch)

Yellow pepper (1/3, chopped)

Celery (4 stalks, thinly, thinly sliced)

A few steps,

1. In a large wok-style pan over medium heat, toss garlic, onions and scallions in sesame oil for about 3 minutes, until fragrant.

2.Add edamame, carrots, celery, ginger and yellow pepper. Pour in the soy sauce. Stir for 7-10 minutes and slowly lower the heat. Season with black pepper.

3. In a separate pot, bring salt water to boil and cook Chow Mein noodles for 2 minutes (do not overcook, they get soggy very quickly!).

4. Drain noodles and throw them into the wok, while stirring with the vegetables for 2 minutes.

5. Garnish with sesame seeds. Enjoy!