Lunar New Year

Hipster Lo Mein

February 20, 2015
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  • Serves 2 - 3
Author Notes

I wanted to make a noodle dish for the Lunar New Year that was full of trendy vegetables, so I came up with Hipster Lo Mein. It's got beet pasta, tons of kale, bok choy, kim chi, snap peas, toasted chia seeds and is fully vegetarian. For full effect, serve it in a mason jar! The inspiration for the beet pasta comes from my buddy Brett, who blogs over at www.figandbleu.com —Beau Ciolino

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Beet Pasta
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 3" in diameter beets
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Toppings
  • 2 cups kale, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup snap peas
  • 2 - 3 pieces bok choy, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 small yellow onion, cut into strips
  • 1/4 cup kim chi
  • 1/4 cup green onion, chopped, for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 3 tablespoons Kikkoman soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Directions
  1. Beet Pasta
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).
  3. Wrap beets loosely in aluminum foil, and roast in the oven for 35 - 45 minutes, or until a fork is easily inserted and removed. Allow finished beets to cool before using.
  4. In a food processor or blender, puree the beets with one of the eggs until smooth. Set aside.
  5. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2.5 cups of the flour and salt.
  6. Create a well in the middle of the flour and add the remaining eggs and the beet mixture,
  7. Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the flour.
  8. Once most of the flour has been incorporated, turn the dough onto a clean surface and finish mixing in the remaining loose flour by hand.
  9. Add more flour if necessary (up to 1/2 cup, but it should not need any more than this) to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or work surface.
  10. The dough should now be smooth and slightly elastic. Knead the dough for about five minutes and then transfer to a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
  11. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes, though it can be refrigerated for use up to one day later.
  12. If using a pasta machine, divide the dough into 4 or 6 equal parts and flatten each portion into a disk.
  13. Run each portion through your machine, on the thickest setting. Repeat process on thinner settings, until your desired thickness has been reached. Once desired thickness has been reached, switch to the pasta cutter attachment and cut the pasta into strips. Toss cut pasta in flour to prevent them from sticking together. Sift off excess flour before boiling.
  14. If cutting by hand, roll the dough out on an extremely well-floured surface until it is about 1/8" thick. Cut thin strips of pasta out into the desired length and width and toss them in flour to keep them from sticking. For this step, I chose to cut my pasta into pieces that were about 10" long and 1/8" wide. Sift off excess flour before boiling the pasta.
  15. Bring a large pot of water to boil with salt and a tablespoon of olive oil, if desired. Add pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from water and set aside.
  1. Toppings
  2. In a small pot, boil two of the eggs by bringing water to a slight boil and adding the eggs (there needs to be just enough water to cover the eggs fully) and cooking them for 6 minutes (for soft boiled) or 9 minutes (for hard boiled). Remove the eggs from the water and set aside.
  3. In a large skillet, melt coconut oil over medium-high heat.
  4. Add kale, onion, and bok choy and cook until ingredients begin to wilt and the onion is translucent, about five minutes. Add snap peas and cook for an additional two minutes. Remove all vegetables from the pan and set aside.
  5. With the skillet still over medium-high heat, add the chia seeds and cook for about 30 seconds, until they begin to pop and become fragrant. This is a pretty time sensitive step, as they burn easily, so be vigilant! Remove from pan and set aside.
  6. In the skillet (with the heat still on medium-high), whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, and brown sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
  7. Add the cooked pasta and vegetables and toss to combine. Remove from heat.
  8. Place the pasta into serving bowls and top with kim chi, toasted chia seeds, sliced boiled egg and green onion.
  9. If desired, finish the pasta with a raw egg yolk right on top, to be mixed in just before eating.

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