Lo Mein Noodles with Baked Salmon-Smoked Sardines
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When we vacationed in Japan last year, our first meal at a restaurant was a simple smoked salmon fillet over a bowl of wheat noodles, garnished with steamed greens and a saucer of soy sauce on the side. It was scrumptious and I’ve wanted to recreate that dish since.
So for supper the other night, I took stock of my surplus of leftovers in the refrigerator – half a fillet of baked salmon and smoked spicy sardines, each from different meals. I also had a bag of fresh spinach, my favorite vine-ripened organic Jersey tomatoes and a few cups of lo mein noodles.
Thankfully, too, my OXO friends sent me kits of fabulous kitchen tools. My favorite in the stash was the OXO Adjustable Measuring Cup. It was one convenient tool which could measure dry, solid or liquid ingredients. It was perfect for me to measure the broth, the liquid ingredients, the noodles, the vegetables. It just made cooking quicker for me.
So supper came together with a few simple steps.
The thick, opaque and lengthy lo mein noodles are always a favorite when I mix it with anything. The best part is when I throw in leftovers, toss it all in the skillet and a new dish gets reinvented. I started with a soy sauce-rice wine base that was both sweet and salty. The savory sauce coated the noodles and was a perfect contrast to the smoky sardines, flaked baked salmon with hints of lemon and fresh vegetables. Supper should always be as superb as this!
Lo Mein Noodles with Baked Salmon-Smoked Sardines
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fresh Lo Mein Noodles about 2 cups when cooked (from Asian markets ); noodles come in packs and are pre-boiled
- 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger sliced, then minced
- 2 stalks scallion whites chopped
- 1 whole medium-sized white or yellow onion chopped
- 2 whole large tomatoes cut in wedges
- 1 cup broth
- 1/2 pound baked salmon about 1 cup when flaked and deboned
- 3 pieces (4 3/8 oz. or 124 g. canned) smoked sardines in tomato sauce flaked; include tomato sauce in can
- 2 Tablespoons Shao xing rice wine or dry sherry
- 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 cup water to add to rice wine and oyster sauce blend
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 whole hard-boiled egg sliced, for garnish
- 2 stalks scallion greens chopped
- 1/8 cup soy sauce for side dipping sauce
- 1 whole lemon about 2 teaspoons lemon juice; for side dipping sauce with soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
Instructions
- To prepare noodles: In a medium quart sized pot, over briskly boiling water, drop the fresh lo mein noodles. Blanch for 3 minutes. Remove from water. Drain and set aside.
- To saute: Over a large skillet or wok, over medium high heat, add the vegetable oil. Saute the garlic, onions, ginger, tomatoes and scallions for 1 minute. Add the broth and blend well.
- In a small bowl, mix the rice wine, oyster sauce, water, sugar. Blend this mixture well. Then add to the skillet with the rest of the ingredients. Add the salmon and sardine flakes. Toss in the spinach and pre-boiled lo mein noodles. Blend everything in 1 to 2 minutes so that the liquid coats the noodles. Season with salt and pepper. Pour a few drops of sesame oil. Garnish with chopped scallions and hard boiled egg slices. Serve hot with a little soy sauce mixed with lemon juice on the side.
- Cook’s comments: I buy the pre-boiled fresh lo mein noodles from the Asian grocery or major supermarkets in packs of 16 oz. each. These are convenient to mix in stir fry dishes or soups. Some packs come with instructions how to prepare. Most times, I drop the noodles in a pot of boiling water and blanch them for 3 to 5 minutes. If Asian noodles are not available, substitute with thin pasta noodles (already cooked), either regular or whole wheat, but using the sauce base in this recipe.
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Nutrition
Notes on Nutrition: The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.
Did you like this recipe? I have more Filipino Instant Pot recipes in my newest cookbook Instant Filipino Recipes: My Mother’s Traditional Philippine Cooking in A Multicooker Pot by Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino. Buy my cookbooks and books on Amazon.com sold worldwide in paperback and Kindle format.
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Disclosure: Instant Pot is the brand name of a multi-cooker that cooks in high and low pressure. I was not paid by the Instant Pot company to mention the product or brand nor endorse it. This is not an ad. My views and opinions are my own.
Now you got me curious to check out OXO Adjustable Measuring Cup. I always look for some helpful and interesting cooking utensils. 🙂 Your lo mein looks yummy!
Thanks, Nami. Agree with you, the OXO tools are all so helpful, I can’t do without them. You should try them. Yes, don’t these lo mein noodles look amazing?
OMG! Why did I not sea this glamorous noodles before! There’s salmon and Sardine and happiness and color and vibrance and warmth …. I’m in love with your dish, Elizabeth 🙂
And You’ve got a new follower here 🙂
Thanks, Nusrat. How nice of you to stop by the blog. Hope you enjoy this simple salmon-sardines on noodles dish. Many thanks for following 🙂