Sesame Beef Lo Mein

I’ve been using Blue Apron on and off for a few years and always love their recipes, fresh ingredients and simple-to-follow-directions.

Last week, our favorite of three meals was the Sesame Beef Lo Mein with its big flavors and slightly chewy, fabulous noodles.

Blue Apron’s allowing me to publish this recipe that I can’t wait to try again.

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces ground beef
• ½ pound fresh lo mein noodles
• 3 ounces fresh shishito peppers, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lime, quartered
• ½ pound baby bok choy, chopped
• 1 tsp. each chopped fresh cilantro and fresh mint
• 2 Tbsp. sushi sauce
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. Sambal Oelek

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F.
2. Heat a small pot of salted water to boiling on high.
3. Roast the peppers: Place the peppers on a sheet pan; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer. Roast 7 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned and softened. Remove from the oven. Set aside in a warm place.
4. Start the beef: While the peppers roast, in a medium pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the ground beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook, frequently breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 4 to 6 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Add the garlic and bok choy to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly softened and fragrant. Add ⅓ cup of water and as much of the sambal oelek as you’d like (I used the full amount), depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until saucy. Turn off the heat. Stir in the juice of 2 lime wedges. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Cook the noodles: While the bok choy cooks, add the noodles to the pot of boiling water (carefully separating with your hands before adding). Cook 2 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Reserving ½ cup of the noodle cooking water, drain thoroughly.
6. Finish the noodles & plate your dish: To the pan of cooked bok choy and beef, add the cooked noodles, roasted peppers, sesame oil, sushi sauce, and half the reserved noodle cooking water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium high, stirring vigorously, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined. (If the sauce seems dry, gradually add the remaining noodle cooking water to achieve your desired consistency.) Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Divide the finished noodles between 2 dishes. Garnish with the cilantro and mint (tearing the mint leaves just before adding). Serve with the remaining lime wedges on the side.

Makes 2 servings.