Elder Care Recipes: Homemade Chow Mein

Elder Care in Wake Forest NC

Going out to eat with your aging parent can be a fun way to make just another day in your elder care journey with him more special, but ordering Chinese food can be extremely expensive, and you do not know the quality of the ingredients going into it. The next time your parent is craving Chinese food, do not reach for the takeout menu. Instead, get into the kitchen, or encourage your parent to make the recipe with their referred caregiver, for a fresh take on takeout.

What You Will Need

• 16 ounces of Hong Kong style chow mein noodles
• 1/2 of a teaspoon of white pepper
• 1/4 of a teaspoon of sugar
• 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, divided
• 3 tablespoons of canola, vegetable or peanut oil, divided
• 3 scallions
• 8 ounces of bean sprouts
• 1 small carrot
• 1 bunch of Chinese flowering chives
• 6 ounces of five spiced tofu
• A sharp knife
• A clean cutting surface
• A small bowl
• A large bowl
• A wok

What to Do

• Finely julienne the scallions and set aside
• Finely julienne the small carrot and set aside
• Trip the bean sprouts and put aside
• Cut the Chinese flowering chives into 2 inch lengths and set aside
• Julienne the tofu and set aside
• In the small bowl, combine the dark soy sauce, salt, sesame oil, white pepper, sugar and 1 tablespoon of the light soy sauce
• Mix this well, until the sugar is dispersed completely
• Set this mixture aside
• Open the package of noodles
• Place the noodles in the large bowl and loosen them
• Separate any strands of noodles that are clumped together
• Place the wok over high heat
• Add 1 tablespoon of oil and heat
• When heated, add the tofu
• Spread the tofu out and cook without moving for 30 seconds
• Add the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce to the tofu
• Mix the tofu and sauce well
• While mixing the tofu and sauce, slowly add in the chives
• Stir fry about 1 minute, until the chives are bright green
• Transfer everything to the large bowl and set aside
• With the wok still on high heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil; heat until smoking
• Add the noodles to the wok
• Using the tongs, spread the noodles around, tossing in the oil
• Make sure during this process to avoid clumps of noodles
• Cook, stirring, about 3 minutes, until they begin to crisp
• Add the soy sauce to the wok
• Stir constantly and mix the noodles with the sauce
• When the sauce and noodles are well combined, add the sprouts and carrots
• Toss until everything is well coated with the sauce
• Continue cooking until the bean sprouts have become transparent, roughly 2 minutes or less
• Add the scallions, chives and tofu back to the wok
• Toss, making sure everything is well combined and serve immediately

Modified from this recipe.