Vegan Kung Pao Noodles

Vegan Kung Pao Noodles

I recently was invited to participate in another fun #Blogger Recipe contest, this time held by Big Mountain Foods… they sent me a few of their tasty #vegan products to play with and use to create a new #recipe. I absolutely LOVE spicy Asian food and noodle dishes and had a craving for it, so I decided to create these Vegan Kung Pao Noodles for the contest and oh my GOODNESS. They are super delish you guys!

Vegan Kung Pao NoodlesHey, it’s a New Year, so why not try to lighten up a little with some healthier recipes that are meat-free and dairy-free but still have tons of flavor? There’s so many good things in this dish that you won’t even miss the meat, I promise.

Lion's Mane Mushroom Crumbles

 

Big Mountain Foods is an all women-owned company based out of Vancouver, BC. They offer a superb lineup of fresh, vegan, #plant-based products that are flavorful, #gluten-free and #non-GMO/#organic. I used their Lion’s Mane Mushroom Crumbles in this recipe which has a blend of organic lion’s mane, portobello and shiitake mushrooms along with a mixture of other healthy ingredients like carrots, pea protein, yellow split peas, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds and coconut oil. They are absolutely delicious and a perfect substitution for ground beef, or ground chicken, with a great umami flavor and nice texture.

Prep ingredients

This recipe for Vegan Kung Pao Noodles is a fun twist on a traditional Asian favorite, Kung Pao. I made it with buckwheat soba noodles, sautéed Lion’s Mane mushroom crumbles, fresh ginger, shallots, red peppers, and water chestnuts tossed in a sweet and spicy Kung Pao sauce (soy sauce, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar and coconut palm sugar and Asian chile garlic sauce) topped with sesame seeds, crunchy peanuts and crispy fried garlic. Oh, the flavors!!!

Stir Fry veggies

First, heat oil in a wok or large pan and sauté the shallots, ginger, water chestnuts and red bell peppers for a few minutes until soft.

Add Mushroom Crumbles

Add the Lion’s Mane Mushroom Crumbles to the pan and cook a few minutes more until heated through.

Add Kung Pao Sauce

Stir in the Kung Pao sauce and let it simmer on low heat for a few more minutes to infuse all the delicious flavors together. Add a little corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce even more.

Stir Noodles and Veggies with Sauce

Toss in the cooked soba noodles and stir to coat. Add in the sesame seeds, peanuts and crispy garlic; mix together into a big pot of sweet and spicy, crunchy goodness.

Vegan Kung Pao Noodles

Serve immediately and enjoy with a glass of white wine (like a Sauvignon Blanc).

Vegan Kung Pao Noodles

Feel free to substitute other pasta for the soba noodles: rice noodles, spaghetti or linguine noodles work great. You can also add an extra teaspoon of chili garlic sauce or drizzle Sriracha sauce on top to kick the heat up a notch…(I absolutely did!!)

Vegan Kung Pao Noodles

If you want to experiment with some other veggies, try adding broccoli, carrots, snow peas, or sliced green onions to the stir fried noodles.

Vegan Kung Pao Noodles

If you add more veggies, you may need to make a little extra sauce depending on how much you add, so the noodles don’t get too dry. Just play with it and get it to the consistency and flavor you like.

Vegan Kung Pao Noodles

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 6

This is a fun twist on a traditional Asian favorite, Kung Pao, with buckwheat soba noodles tossed with sautéed Lion's Mane mushroom crumbles, fresh ginger, shallots, red peppers, and water chestnuts in a spicy savory sauce topped with sesame seeds, peanuts and crispy fried garlic.

Ingredients

  • 1 package buckwheat soba noodles (12 oz)
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
  • 1 package Big Mountain Foods Lion's Mane Mushroom Crumbles
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, julienned
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 (5 oz) can water chestnuts, diced
  • 1 small red pepper, sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Asian chili garlic sauce
  • 1/3 cup cold water
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoons crispy fried garlic

Instructions

  1. Cook soba noodles in boiling water for approximately 5 minutes, until soft. Drain and toss with 1 teaspoon sesame oil; set aside.
  2. Heat additional teaspoon of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of peanut oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat.
  3. Add ginger, shallot, water chestnuts and red pepper; sauté for about 2-3 minutes until soft. Stir in the Lion's Mane Mushroom Crumbles and cook for another 2-3 minutes, then lower heat to medium-low.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce (or tamari), sesame oil, apple cider (or rice) vinegar, coconut palm sugar, chili garlic sauce and pour into the skillet with the Mushroom veggie mixture, stir and toss to coat.
  5. Whisk the corn starch and water together and pour into the wok/skillet and mix together well. Let mixture cook for an additional minute or so until the sauce thickens.
  6. Toss in the peanuts, sesame seeds and fried garlic, stir together.
  7. Serve hot immediately, top with additional peanuts and crispy garlic if desired, for garnish.

Notes

Feel free to substitute other pasta for the soba noodles: rice noodles, spaghetti or linguine noodles work great. Add extra tablespoon of chili paste to kick the heat up a notch. You can also add extra vegetables to the stir fried noodles but you may need to make extra sauce so the noodles don't get too dry if adding them.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2022/01/vegan-kung-pao-noodles/

Vegan Kung Pao Noodles

Any way you make these Kung Pao noodles they are absolutely delish and a #healthy vegan dish to kick off the New Year with!

You can find all of Big Mountain’s products online and also in the fresh section of the grocery store, as well as specialty food stores (Sprouts, Whole Foods, etc.) And check out @bigmountainfoods social media pages and website for more info, a store locator and more great recipes!

Website: https://bigmountainfoods.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigmountainfoods/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigmountainfoods/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigmountainfood

#BigMountainFoodsRecipeChallenge #BigMountainFoods #Veganrecipes

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Other recipes you may enjoy:

Spicy Pork Udon Noodle Soup

Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles

Sweet + Spicy Shrimp Noodle Salad

 

Savory Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs {#Keto / #LowCarb}

Savory Pan-Seared Chicken

Savory Chicken 4

Hey folks, happy Tuesday! Just another chilly January day here…I had a serious craving for some seriously good chicken today so I made these Savory Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs for lunch. You guys – these are the BOMB. And seriously tasty.

Dale's Seasoning
photo credit: Dale’s Seasoning

Dale’s Steak Seasoning is my secret ingredient in this recipe – it’s a savory marinade made with a blend of exotic spices, originating in Birmingham AL. I discovered in the early 90’s while living in Atlanta GA when my ex introduced me to it… we were grilling burgers out with some friends and let’s just say I got quite addicted to this delicious sauce verrryyy quickly – it was love at first sight actually. Now I use it on almost EVERYTHING: chicken, steak, pork, burgers, and even grilled lamb or quail! It’s gives such a rich flavor to anything you put it on, really so you don’t need a lot of extra seasonings when using it.

Savory Chicken

The recipe is super easy too – I poured about 1/4 cup of the Dale’s Seasoning marinade over the chicken thighs into a mixing bowl and then added 2 tablespoons olive oil, a dash of black pepper and red pepper flakes, a tablespoon of dried chives, a little garlic powder…

Mushroom & Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend
photo credit: Trader Joe’s

and then a dash of my other secret ingredient, Trader Joe’s Mushroom + Co Multipurpose Umami Seasoning, which is a blend of porcini and white button mushroom powder, sea salt, dried onion powder, ground mustard seed, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and dried thyme, that add tons of #UMAMI to the dish that I can’t even describe.

Savory Chicken 2

Poke a few holes on each chicken thigh and mush it all over the chicken with tongs and then let it all marinate in a large plastic baggie or mixing bowl in the fridge for about 30 mins.  Then, pan-sear the chicken thighs in a large sauté pan over medium-high for 5 minutes on each side until crispy and browned, and the sauce gets a little syrupy and caramelized. (You can also bake or grill them of course if you prefer.) The final crown touch was I topped the chicken with some crispy fried garlic flakes for extra crunch and flavor (the kind you find in an Asian market..if you can’t find these, you can sub crispy fried onions or shallots crushed up or make your own)…. oh my goodness, this is truly the best #chicken I have EVER tasted!

Savory Chicken

You can use my marinade recipe on any protein or veggies you prefer, it’s that versatile and full of flavor. And like I mentioned it’s super delish on grilled burgers too. I can’t even tell you how much I love this stuff. So with that said, here’s the actual recipe below. Feel free to use it on anything and everything and I promise you will never go back to dry, bland, tasteless chicken ever again and you will be as hooked on this stuff as I am..I promise!

Savory Chicken 3

Enjoy. 🙂

Savory Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs {#Keto / #LowCarb}

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

Serving Size: 1 piece

This recipe for Savory Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs is my go-to recipe for all around full flavored delicious chicken! Marinated in Dale's Seasoning along with Trader Joe's Umami Seasoning, olive oil, black and red pepper, chives and topped with crispy garlic flakes. Easy peasy and totally amazing.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  • 1/4 cup Dale's Steak Seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon dried chives (or 2 tablespoon fresh minced)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Trader Joe's Umami Seasoning
  • Crispy garlic flakes, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Pour 1/4 cup of the Dale's Seasoning marinade over the chicken thighs into a medium mixing bowl. Add 1/8 cup olive oil, a dash of black pepper and red pepper flakes, a tablespoon of dried chives, a dash of garlic powder and Trader Joe's Umami Seasoning.
  2. Mush it all together over the chicken and let it marinate in the fridge for 30 mins.
  3. Heat a saute pan or grill over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook for 5 minutes on each side until crispy and browned.
  4. Top chicken with crispy garlic flakes for garnish. Serve immediately.
https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2021/01/savory-pan-seared-chicken-thighs-keto-lowcarb/

Savory Chicken 6

Other marinade recipes you may enjoy: 

Best Chicken Marinade

7 Best Chicken Marinades

The Best Chicken Marinade

Pork Chops w/ Caramelized Pear & Ginger Sauce

Pork Chops w/ Caramelized Pear + Ginger Sauce

Hey guys! I’m so excited that Fall is finally here! I absolutely love Summer, but Fall cooking is one of my favorites with all the gorgeous produce, herbs, spices and warm flavors that come along with the season. 

Ingredients

I was invited to participate in the Keystone Pantry Allulose Blogger Recipe Challenge this year and decided to make a gorgeous recipe for Pork Chops with Caramelized Pear and Ginger Sauce.  

Pork Chops

I used some boneless pork chops which were sautéed in a skillet until lightly browned.

Caramel Sauce in the making

Then I made a simple caramel sauce using some Banyuls vinegar and Allulose (in place of regular white sugar) until it was a dark amber caramel color,

Pour in wine and broth

and added some white wine and chicken broth to make the base for the sauce.

Stir in ginger and cinnamon and pears

Next I simmered the sliced pears and ginger in the broth with a dash of cinnamon until they were soft and tender,Stir in cornstarch slurryand stirred in a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce and added a few sprigs of thyme for some fresh herb flavors. Pork Chops in Pear Ginger SauceAs a complimentary side dish, I sautéed butternut squash noodles with fresh garlic in some butter with a dash of lemon juice to serve with the pork chops and then drizzled the sauce over the top of the dish. OMG – it was absolutely delicious! (And sugar-free and low-carb to boot!)

Pork Chops with Caramelized Pear + Ginger Sauce

So what exactly is Allulose anyways? It is a rare natural sugar found in very small quantities in dates, dried figs, raisins and wheat, and also in other brown caramelized products such as caramel sauce, maple syrup and brown sugar. 

Keystone Pantry Allulose

It’s better for you than regular sugar and is a very low-calorie natural sweetener that is Non-GMO, Gluten Free, and works with Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo and Vegan diets. 

Allulose has the same chemical formula as fructose but because it isn’t metabolized by the body, it does not raise blood sugar or insulin levels (and studies show it can reduce blood sugar levels!) and has zero net carbs and only 21 calories per teaspoon.

It provides a taste and texture similar to sugar, and doesn’t have a bitter aftertaste like most non-sugar sweeteners. But, you will need to use a little more than regular sugar because it isn’t as sweet. It does have the same volume and browning characteristics as white sugar when used in baking, but browns faster than regular sugar so it may require a slightly lower temperature when cooking with it. It also comes in powdered/crystalline forms or as a liquid syrup.

For more inspiration and information about Allulose, check out Lang’s Chocolate and Keystone Pantry products on FacebookTwitterInstagram, and Pinterest.  #Keystonepantry #Alluloserecipe

Pork Chops w/ Caramelized Pear + Ginger Sauce

Pork Chops w/ Caramelized Pear & Ginger Sauce

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 4

Serving Size: 1 pork chop with 1/4 pear ginger sauce

A gorgeous Fall dish of sautéed pork chops in a caramelized pear and ginger sauce is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. Made with Keystone Pantry Allulose in place of regular sugar, this meal is gluten free, Paleo and low carb/Keto friendly and healthy.

Ingredients

  • 4 (4 ounce) boneless pork chops, 1 inch thick, trimmed
  • Garlic salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons Banyuls vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  • 3 tablespoons Keystone Pantry Allulose
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 firm ripe pear (Bosc or Anjou), cored and cut into eighths
  • 1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin julienne strips
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water (to make slurry)
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, plus extra chopped for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork chops with garlic salt and pepper and cook until browned and slightly cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm with tented foil.
  2. Add the vinegar and Allulose to the skillet and stir to dissolve. Continue to cook over medium-high heat until a syrup forms and turns a dark caramel amber color, about 10-15 seconds (be careful not to burn!)
  3. Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Add the chicken broth, pears, ginger and cinnamon and cook uncovered for about 5 minutes at a steady simmer until the pears are soft and tender.
  4. Add the cornstarch slurry mixture and stir, cooking for another few minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the fresh thyme sprigs and reduce to the heat to low.
  5. Return the cooked pork chops to the pan (along with any juices) and toss with the sauce in the pan.
  6. Serve with the pear and ginger sauce on top of the pork chops alongside a vegetable dish and garnish with additional fresh thyme if desired.
https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2018/09/pork-chops-w-caramelized-pear-ginger-sauce/

Pork Chops with Caramelized Pears + Ginger Sauce