Spicy Beef and Noodle Stir Fry - With Whole Wheat Noodles!

       So I've been on an Asian food kick lately - like mimic take out meals (stay tuned for a pork fried rice recipe coming soon!) and this beef and noodle stir fry really hit the spot. It's spicy and delicious... I'm seriously in love with the sesame flavor; it's the reason I made this dish so soon after my sesame chicken recipe. Not to mention that it was cheap and totally simple. It all came together in 20 minutes, probably the same time it would take to hop in my car and head down to the nearest chinese place, and it tastes (and looks) just like the real thing.....

         It's obviously healthier than takeout because let's be honest, who knows what the hell they put in their food (No MSG in my cooking that's for sure!). I also use whole wheat noodles, and with the spicy flavorful sauce, you'd have no idea. You have the option of really giving this dish a spicy kick with more red pepper flakes, or keeping it mild and highlighting the toasted sesame flavor - either way it's soooo good and a perfect way to fix those take-out cravings.

       This recipe would also work wonderfully with broccoli, snow peas, carrots, larger julienned peppers, baby corn or even asparagus! (etc, etc) I used green beans because I hadn't cooked them in a while and was looking to change it up, and they paired really well with the flavors. I'm definitely going to start working more with stir frys and dishes like this because they are so quick to prepare, they are wicked cheap and I can use really any vegetables I have available. If that doesn't scream college cooking then I don't know what does!

I'll take another heaping plate of these noodles, please!

Spicy Sesame Beef and Noodle Stir Fry

Ingredients:

10 oz whole wheat noodles

3/4-1 lb flank steak (or any stir fry steak)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp ginger powder

2 big handfuls green beans

1/3 cup red bell pepper, diced small

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 tbsp reduce sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp hoisin sauce

1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp cornstarch

black pepper

Directions:

Cook noodles until al dente, according to package directions and drain. Season steak with ginger. Heat olive oil and half of sesame oil over medium-high heat in large pan. Add garlic and stir, for about a minute then add steak and cook until just almost cooked through, remove and transfer to a plate. No need to drain the juices, leave them in the pan. Add remaining sesame oil to the pan and let it get hot, then add green beans, onion and bell pepper, cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. (To get the green beans really tender you can add a tbsp of water and cover the pan for 2-3 minutes.) Wisk the broth, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, red pepper flakes and cornstarch in small bowl. Add to the vegetables in the pan along with the steak. Cook for a few minutes to let the sauce thicken. Add noodles back to the pan and toss to coat. Season with pepper and serve.