Chinese Vermicelli Stir-Fry

It's been a long overdue date night for my husband and I... my mom and dad are graciously coming over to look after the boys while we go chow on good sushi! Stir-fried noodles is a quick no-frills all-in-one-meal to make with protein and/or vegetables that will please both my kids and parents. It really is an excellent way to use up leftover ingredients to customize your own "chop suey" noodles with whatever you have in the fridge. I had some ham left from making lunch sandwiches so it was perfect to serve as protein along with some eggs. Give this a try with your own favourite variations!

Chinese Vermicelli Stir-Fry
Makes 6 servings

1 pkg. (375 g) vermicelli noodles, cooked according to package instructions
2 eggs, beaten, cooked into a thin crepe; let cool and slice into short strips
2 cloves garlic, minced

5 shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated if dried in water to cover for two hours, drained and sliced

1/4 cup sliced Szechuan preserved vegetables, in water to cover (this really gives the dish a lot of flavour)
1/4 cabbage, thinly sliced
2 carrots, cut into match-sticks or TIP: peeled into strips with a peeler
1 green onion, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces

1/2 pound baby spinach or torn spinach leaves, stems removed
1 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 tsp. soy sauce

ham, cut into strips

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat; add the garlic, mushrooms and drained preserved vegetables; reserve the water for later. Stir-fry for two minutes, then add carrots and cabbage. Add one Tbsp. oyster sauce and continue to stir-fry until the vegetables are crisp-tender about five minutes.

Toss in green onions and spinach and stir-fry for another minute. 

Add the cooked vermicelli and toss well with reserved water from the preserved vegetables, soy sauce and remaining oyster sauce; then add the eggs and ham and mix well to incorporate.

Make Ahead TIP: You can prepare by cutting all your vegetables in advance and cook with the noodles when you are ready to serve. This will save you a lot of precious time later!