LTC, you might consider investing in a really good dehydrator. With the amount and variety of cooking you do, I bet you’d get tons of use out of it. You will be amazed at the difference between freshly dehydrated herbs/spices and store-bought. The two bear no relation to each other whatsoever.
Inka, I’m so happy you’ve signed on for the great kelp noodle experiment too! I think it’s time for me repost my Shrimp Faux Mein recipe. When you’re in the mood for Chinese takeout, this guy will blow your mind. Phenomenal leftover too. Better the next day. It does cook in the dressing and get too soft by day 3, though, so you can’t make too gigantic a batch.
Shrimp Faux Mein
The all important softening trick: kelp noodles come out of the bag tangled up in a crunchy skein. Dump them out of the bag into a collander, rinse them and run you fingers through the clump to untangle it. Fill a large mixing bowl with warm water and add a tablespoon of baking soda. Swirl it with your hand until the baking soda is dissolved. Add the noodles and let them soak for 2 minutes until they relax. You can easily feel and see the difference. Dump them back in the colander and rinse again. Let them sit, draining until you’re ready for them.
4 oz shiitake or portobello mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
2 oz snow peas, sliced thinly lengthwise
2 oz broccoli, clover or alfalfa sprouts
2 oz pea shoots or sunflower shoots
1 cup of baby bok choy, julienned or sliced to your liking
2 cloves garlic (5 grams), minced
1 medium green onion (16 grams), white part minced and green tops chopped
1/2 lb medium or large cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined, then cut in half lengthwise
1 package (12 oz) kelp noodles
3 tsp toasted sesame oil
3 tblsp soy sauce
1 tblsp hot chili garlic sauce (I use Huy Fong brand which has no sugar, be sure to check the ingredients and nutrition panel before you buy any prepared sauces)
1 tsp dried ginger or 2 tsps fresh ginger, finely minced
1 tsp ginger juice (grate the ginger and squeeze it through a cheesecloth or paper towel into the dressing)
10 drops fish sauce (Red Boat is the only one I know of that is made properly without added sugars)
1/2 tsp brown miso
Combine soy sauce, two teaspoons of the toasted sesame oil, the chili garlic sauce, the ginger, the minced white part of the scallion, one of the minced cloves of garlic, the fish sauce and the miso in a small bowl. Whisk vigorously. Set aside. If you have a low carb thickener (I use a combination of guar and xantham gum which is instantly effective and has no taste whatsoever) add a half teaspoon of it and whisk. Let it sit for five minutes to thicken. This step is optional. I like it because the thicker sauce sticks well to the noodles and is more reminiscent of the texture of dressings you get in restaurants, but it tastes wonderful even without the thickening step.
Put the last teaspoon of sesame oil in a large pan, heat on medium and sautee the mushrooms. Lightly salt and pepper to help them release their juices. Once they’ve softened a little, add the snow peas and sautee for a couple of minutes. I like them still crunchy with a bit of that delicious raw peapod taste. If you prefer them softer, cook an extra minute or two. Add the garlic and sautee for a minute until fragrant. Add the bok choy and sautee until they begin to wilt but the ribs are still firm.
Add the shrimp. I often get them already boiled, but I’ve also used raw. You just have to cook them first and readd once you’ve sauteed the veggies. You only sautee them with the veg for a minute or so to heat them up.
Add the kelp noodles. Add the dressing. Add the sprouts and shoots. Mix everything together in the pan, being sure to distribute the dressing well throughout the noodles. I use one of those spaghetti claw things.The noodles will change color to the brownish red of the dressing wherever it’s mixed in thoroughly, it’s easy to tell when the sauce is well-distributed.
Serve topped with chopped green parts of the scallion.
This recipe works with any protein you’d like in place of the shrimp. I’ve made versions with chicken, thinly sliced flank steak, tempeh and crispy marinated tofu chunks.