For the Chinese New Year celebration, serving a large plate of chicken, beef and shrimp stir-fried with noodles is not just very tasty but a symbolic meaning of a long life for everyone who eats the noodles on New Year!

½ package thin spaghetti (8 oz.)
6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt for boiling spaghetti
6 oz. boneless and skinless chicken breast (about half breast)
6 oz. top sirloin steak
6 oz. medium size raw shrimp (about 12 pieces)
2 scallions, including the green top
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)

Marinade:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon rice wine or cooking sherry
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar

Sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce*
2 teaspoons pure sesame oil

Preparation:
Slice the half chicken breast lengthwise in half. Cut crosswise into ¼ inch thin pieces. Cut the steak into 1½ inch wide pieces then slice against the grain into ¼ inch thin pieces. Peel and devein the shrimp and rinse with cold water. In a medium size bowl, combine chicken, beef and shrimp with the marinade ingredients. Mix together thoroughly and set aside. Wash and trim the green onions and finely chop. In a small bowl, mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside.

To Cook:
In a medium size pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Break the spaghetti in half and drop into the boiling water. Add salt and stir well. Boil uncovered for approximately 7 to 8 minutes while stirring occasionally. Drain the cooked spaghetti through a colander.

Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, brown onions for a few seconds. Add chicken, beef and shrimp. Cook and stir 3 minutes until the chicken, beef and shrimp are almost cooked through. Add the cooked spaghetti to wok first followed by the sauce. Stir-fry for approximately 2 minutes until the noodles absorb all the seasoning. Serve hot.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

*Hoisin sauce is a sweet brown sauce made from soybeans. Sold in jars or bottles at the Asian section of most supermarkets. After opening, it can be stored for several months in the refrigerator.

Crispy Hong Kong style noodles served in restaurants are deep fried. With a small amount of oil and a non-stick frying pan however, we can get the same crunch and a healthier version of the traditional recipe. We used chicken and shrimp with vegetables to make this tasty dish. You can also substitute with other meats, seafood and vegetables of your choice. The key is to make plenty of sauce to enhance the flavor of the noodles!

Noodles:
Half package Angel Hair pasta (8 oz.)
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick fry pan)

Topping:
1 half boneless and skinless chicken breast (6 oz.)
1/2 pound medium size raw shrimp (6 oz. after peeled and deveined)
4 large size fresh white mushrooms (6 oz.)
2 large stalks of Bok Choy cabbage (6 oz.)
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable (for cooking in a non-stick wok)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
½ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Marinade:
For chicken: 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon sugar
For shrimp: 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Slice chicken breast in half lengthwise then slice crosswise into ¼ inch thin pieces. In a small bowl, combine chicken pieces with the marinade ingredients. Mix together thoroughly and set aside. Peel, devein and rinse the shrimp. In a small bowl, add the cornstarch and salt to shrimp and mix well. Set aside. Wash and trim the mushrooms. Slice each mushroom in half then cut into ¼ inch thin pieces. Wash and trim the Bok Choy cabbage. Slice the cabbage lengthwise in half then cut into ½ inch thick pieces. In a small bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water.

To Cook:
In a medium size pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Break the Angel Hair noodles in half and place into the boiling water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and stir well. Boil uncovered for approximately 4 minutes while stirring occasionally. Drain the cooked noodles through a colander and rinse with cold water.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the cooked noodles to pan and spread them around evenly. Pan fry the noodles uncovered for 5 minutes. Flip the noodles and pan fry the other side for another 5 minutes. The noodles will be light brown and crisp on both sides. Remove the pan from the heat and keep the crispy noodles warm in the pan.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a non-stick wok over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add chicken pieces to wok. Cook and stir for 1 minute then add shrimp to wok. Cook and stir for another minute. Add mushrooms and bok choy to wok. Continue to stir-fry everything together for 1 more minute. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and chicken broth to wok. Stir fry for one minute. Stir the dissolved cornstarch again and add to food in the center of the wok. Cook and stir until the sauce is slightly thickened. Turn off heat. Place the crispy noodles onto a large serving plate. Pour the topping with sauce evenly over the noodles. Serve hot.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Boil the noodles time: 4 minutes
Pan frying the noodles time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes

Summer is in full swing and the last thing I want to do on a hot day is slave over a hot stove! Cold noodles make for a great summer time dish. Served them room temperature or chilled. These noodles go well with any BBQ meat entrée.

½ package thin spaghetti (8 oz.)
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt for boiling the spaghetti
1 small carrot
½ English cucumber

Sauce:
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter (Skippy brand)
2 teaspoons pure sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried crushed red chili peppers

Preparation:
Peel and slice carrot diagonally into ¼ inch thin pieces and then cut into strips. Put in a small bowl and set aside. Wash (do not peel) the cucumber, slice diagonally into ¼ inch thin pieces and then cut into strips. Put in a small bowl and set aside. Crush, peel and finely mince the garlic. In a small bowl, mix the sauce ingredients together thoroughly and set aside.

To Cook:
In a medium size pot, bring 6 cups water to a boil over high heat. Break the spaghetti in half and place into the boiling water. Add salt and stir well. Boil uncovered for approximately 8 minutes while stirring occasionally. Drain the cooked spaghetti through a colander and drain well (do not rinse with cold water), put in a large bowl and set aside.

In a small sauce pan, bring the sauce mixture to boil over medium-high heat and boil for just a few seconds. Remove  from heat. Pour sauce over spaghetti in bowl. Toss, mix well together and let the noodles rest in the bowl for at least 10 minutes. The noodles will expand just a bit and the sauce will adheres to the noodles. Toss the noodles again before serving. You can also refrigerate and serve cold. Sprinkle cucumber and carrot strips on top of the noodles to serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Is it Italian? Is it American? No, It’s Chinese! I absolutely loved this dish growing up. The combination of hoisin sauce and tomato sauce make for a very tasty dish with a Chinese twist!

1 pound thin spaghetti
8 cups water
2 teaspoons salt for boiling the spaghetti
1 fresh cucumber (about 10 oz.)
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a pot)

Meat Sauce:
1 pound 90% lean ground beef
4 cloves garlic
2 scallions, including the green top
1 teaspoon dried crushed red chili peppers
3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce*
3 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
2 cans tomato sauce (8 oz. each)

Preparation:
Peel and slice cucumber diagonally into ¼ inch thin pieces, then cut into strips. Place the cucumber strips in a small bowl and set aside.  Crush, peel and finely chop the garlic. Wash and trim the green onions, finely chop.

To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, brown garlic, green onions and crushed chili peppers for a few seconds. Add ground beef. Cook and stir for approximately 2 to 3 minutes, until the meat separates. Add Hoisin sauce, soy sauce and tomato sauce into wok or pot. Mix well. Lower heat and cook for approximately 5 minutes with the cover on. Stir the sauce mixture again, cover and cook for 2 more minutes. Turn off heat and let the meat sauce sit with cover on the stove until the spaghetti is ready to serve.

In a medium size pot, bring water to a boil. Break the thin spaghetti in half and place into boiling water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and stir well. Boil the spaghetti for approximately 8 minutes uncovered and stir occasionally. Drain the cooked spaghetti through a colander.

To Serve:
Place a portion of cooked spaghetti in an individual serving plate. Add sauce over the top of the spaghetti and sprinkle a handful of cucumber strips over the meat sauce to serve.

Makes 6 to 8 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: Approximately 18 to 20 minutes

*Hoisin sauce is a sweet brown sauce made from soybeans.  Sold in jars or bottles at the Asian section of most supermarkets.  After opening it can be stored for several month in the refrigerator.

Growing up in California we barbecued all the time. Rather than serving the traditional macaroni or potato salad,  Mom served Chicken Chow Mein as a side dish – A delicious and popular stir-fry noodle dish.

½ package thin spaghetti (8 oz.)
6 cups water and 1-teaspoon salt for boiling the spaghetti
½ pound boneless and skinless chicken breast (about half breast)
½ can sliced bamboo shoots (2.5 oz.) drained
6 shittake dried black mushrooms (soak in warm water for 10 minutes or longer until soft)
1 carrot
½ small yellow onion
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
3 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Slice the half chicken breast lengthwise in half. Crosswise cut into ¼ inch thin pieces and then cut into strips. Drain the water from mushrooms, cut off the stems if any. Slice into ¼ inch thin strips. Peel and slice carrot diagonally into ¼ inch thin pieces and then cut  into strips. Slice the onion in-half lengthwise and then cut into ¼ inch thin strips.

To Cook:
In a medium-sized pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Break the spaghetti in half and put into the boiling water. Add salt and stir well. Boil uncovered for approximately 6 minutes while stirring occasionally. Drain the cooked spaghetti through a colander. Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, brown onions for a few seconds. Add chicken, cook and stir for 2 minutes until the chicken strips are almost cooked through. Add bamboo shoots, black mushrooms, carrots and mix together. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt and then immediately return the cooked spaghetti into the wok. Stir-fry for approximately 2 minutes until the noodles absorb all the seasoning. Serve hot.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes