Rick Combe is a jack of few trades and master of none from the southeastern US.

Tastes Like Takeout

Back in my bachelor years, I frequently hit up the local Chinese takeout place for their awesome shrimp lo mein. I tried many of the frozen supermarket versions, but none of them came remotely close to the flavor and quality of takeout.

Cooking my own from cookbooks also ended with dismal results until, finally, I found a recipe that's as good or better than takeout, and here's my version of my favorite. I use spaghetti noodles because lo mein noodles can sometimes be difficult to find. Don't worry that the spaghetti isn't "authentic" as it is similar to lo mein in taste and texture.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 16 ounces small to medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 8 ounces spaghetti noodles
• 1 1/2 cups broccoli, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups raw mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• salt

Instructions

1. First, cook the spaghetti noodles according to the package instructions, or boil 8-10 minutes in lightly salted water until tender yet still firm, then immediately drain.
2. While the water heats up and the noodles cook, mince the garlic and chop the broccoli, mushrooms, and onion.
3. To a wok or large skillet, add the two tablespoons of oil and cook the shrimp 2-3 minutes, until the color changes (turns pink).
4. Now add the broccoli, mushrooms, onion, and garlic in with the shrimp and cook 4-6 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
5. While the vegetables cook, place the noodles in a bowl (or the pan they were cooked in) and add the brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic powder. Gently stir the noodles until the seasonings are mixed thoroughly.
6. Move the vegetables and shrimp to one side of the wok/skillet and scramble the eggs in the space created.
7. Mix scrambled eggs with the vegetables and shrimp, then add the noodle/seasoning mixture. Stir everything together well and continue to cook until the noodles are hot again, or another 1-2 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Rating

Please feel free to post suggestions or any modifications that you have made in the comments section below. I'm always looking to try new variations.

Comments

Jenn Pags on March 26, 2017:

Great recipe. I used chicken and shrimp bc I had both. Also, I used only the veggies I had on hand (bamboo shoots, carrots, bok choy, broccoli.). Came out delish. One note - this should probably be 4 servings but I ate half of it myself! Be aware of this if you are cooking for big eaters.

rick combe (author) from USA on August 18, 2012:

Thanks for endorsement Rachel. The label on the soy sauce I used didn't list MSG, but it only has to be listed if it is added and not naturally occurring in the other ingredients. Either way there have been many, many studies on the health effects of MSG after it got a bad reputation that show that it isn't really harmful after all, but who knows.

OldRoses, I'm glad you found this recipe enlightening! Cook the noodles softer than you would for spaghetti to get the best results. Be sure not to stir the dish too vigorously after adding the soft noodles to avoid breaking them up.

Caren White on August 17, 2012:

Eureka! The secret is to cook the noodles with the shrimp mixture! Absolutely brilliant. I knew that I was missing something. Can't wait to retry a couple of recipes using that step. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!

Rachel Koski Nielsen from Pennsylvania, now farming in Minnesota on August 17, 2012:

Mmm, looks delicious! I have to try this one - voted up etc., pinned and shared. Let you know how it goes when I try it. And um, do you know if soy sauce has MSG in it?

rjsadowski on August 06, 2012:

An interesting versian of Asian style shrimp Lo-Mein.