Combination Yaki Soba & hope for the future

When I was growing up, we would get to choose where we wanted to have our birthday dinner.  When I was in grade school, I wanted a picnic on the beach.  Then as I got older, I wanted barbecue ribs after spending the day at the beach.  Yes, I continued this tradition with my kids as well!

Then we moved to Iowa where there are no beaches, or Tony Roma’s, or LUV’s BBQ.  Now for my birthday I usually go to a Japanese Steakhouse.  Some years we have the whole show at the grill with the ‘TOOT TOOT” of the onion train, and others we just order off the menu.  Either way, it includes steak and seafood.

This year Alex took me to Oyama Steakhouse for an early birthday dinner and I had my favorite Combination Yaki Soba…..

A couple of months ago I decided that I wanted to make my favorite dish at home, so I started doing some research and came up with a recipe of my own.  This is what mine looks like…..

Mine has more meat, but it is pretty darn close. I already had some mini shrimp in the freezer that needed to be used, so I went with those…..shrimp is shrimp!  And yes, my lighting is better and I did not use my cell phone to photograph mine, but you get the idea.

Now you may have noticed that sometimes I go a little bit crazy with the photos in the recipe, and sometimes I keep it pretty general assuming that you know what I am talking about. Today I was playing with picmonkey again and made some cute collages.  Here are the noodles that I used…..

and this is how we chop up the vegetables…..

and here is our combination of meats…..

I really do want an honest answer…..Which way do you prefer?

Collages/photos in the post and no photos in the actual recipe.

Collages/photos in the post for the details, and photos of the actual steps in the recipe. (like today)

Continue with the way I have been doing it. (step by step photos of each step)

Suggestions!!!

On a more personal note, I am sitting here the day before my birthday, still devastated by everything that has happened in the past two months. But I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Maybe time is helping, or maybe it is because the sun is shining and the snow is finally done for the year.  Either way, I am starting to look to the future.  A future where I can make my own decisions for my own life. A future without someone constantly telling me that I am doing everything wrong.  A life without manipulation, mind games, and emotional abuse inflicted by a passive aggressive alcoholic.  I am terrified, yet relieved at the same time.

And I have all of you my blogging friends that make me laugh and keep me focused, thank you 🙂

I hope everyone enjoys my version of Yaki Soba.  It is really delicious, and not nearly as complicated as it sounds.  Enjoy!

Combination Yakisoba

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Serves	6
Prep time	25 minutes
Cook time	20 minutes
Total time	45 minutes
Meal type	Main Course

A combination of meats and vegetables combined with noodles and a tangy Asian sauce create the perfect meal.

Ingredients

• 1 Package chow mein/ramen noodles
• 4 Tablespoons canola oil, separated
• 1/2 Pound organic chicken breasts (boneless, skinless, sliced into strips)
• 1/2 Pound grass-fed beef sirloin (sliced into strips)
• 1/2 Pound wild-caught shrimp, small (shelled, cleaned,deveined)
• 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger (finely grated)
• 1 Medium yellow onion (sliced thin)
• 1/2 head napa cabbage
• 1 head broccoli (chopped into bite-sized pieces, about 2 cups+)
• 2 Medium carrots (shredded)
• Sauce
• 4 Cloves fresh minced garlic
• 1 cup minced green onions
• 2/3 cups rice wine or dry sherry
• 1/2 cup soy sauce / tamari
• 1/2 cup toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 cup garlic oil
• 3 Tablespoons garlic chili paste
• 3 Tablespoons organic brown sugar

Directions

Boil noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Whisk together sauce ingredients in a small bowl, set aside.

Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a wok over High heat.

Add ginger, be careful it will splatter.

Add beef and chicken, stirring to keep it from sticking.

When chicken is cooked, add the shrimp and cook until shrimp turns pink. Remove meat to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

Remove any excess liquid from wok and add 2 additional Tablespoons of oil.

Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes to soften.

Add the broccoli and carrots, and cook for 3 additional minutes.

Add the cabbage.

Add 5 Tablespoons of sauce and cook until cabbage is wilted and reduced in volume.

Add the noodles.

Add an additional 5 Tablespoons of sauce. Continue to stir until everything is combined.

Add the combination meats back to the wok.

Add an additional 5 Tablespoons of sauce.

Toss everything together until well combined.

Garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds, if desired, and serve.

Note

I used cocktail shrimp because that was what I had in the freezer.

You may not use all of the sauce.  You want everything coated, but not swimming in the sauce.  Adjust to your tastes.

If you like things spicy, add 1 teaspoon to 1 Tablespoon of sriracha hot sauce.