Totally Unauthentic Mee Goreng (Malaysian Stir-Fried Noodles)

This was my version of a dish that I like very much, with ingredients I had at home.  I was craving noodles tonight and I was looking for a way to use up the leftover cod (in marinara sauce) from last night.  For my sauce I was going to use:

• 3 tablespoons of sweet soy sauce (I used Healthy Boy Thai sweet soy) like Kecap Manis
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons of Sambal Oelek sauce
• 1 heaping teaspoon of curry powder (I meant to use Madras but grabbed Garam Masala on auto-pilot - oops, so I added a half teaspoon of Madras)
• 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce (I use Kikkoman)

I had these noodles below in my cupboard so was going to use them.

I decided to make my friend at work some too along with my son, so I used 3 packs since I was doing so much chopping now, and thought I'd get my money's worth of this dish that turned from simple to complicated in a matter of minutes as I wrote it out...I got out my BIG fry pan for this.  😁

For the stir fry part, I used everything I had in the fridge, pretty much.  I did buy the sprouts, mushrooms and kale:

• About a cup of fresh bean sprouts (added at the end)
• Sliced green onions (added at the end)
• 1 pound of wild Pacific white shrimp, deveined and cleaned (also added near the end of the stir-fry)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 onion, halved and sliced thinly
• 1 bunch of asparagus, cut in one inch pieces
• 2 heaping tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped finely minced
• 1 jalepeno pepper, seeds all in and diced
• Bunch of black kale, trimmed of stems and chopped coarsely (added near the end of stir-fry)
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 6 ounces of mushrooms (I  bought them sliced already)
• 1/2 cup of chicken stock (It was leftover so I threw it in at the end)
• 15 cherry tomatoes, halved and 2 whole vine-ripened tomatos (super soft and needed to be used), cut in 8th's
• About 2 cups of cooked cod, broken up in marinara sauce (also added near the end of the stir-fry)

For garnishes I used:

• Sliced English cucumber (halved and peeled), seeds removed and marinated in some rice wine vinegar
• Lime wedges
• Roasted unsalted peanuts, crushed in a baggy with a mallet
• Cilantro, chopped
• Fried onions - what I used are below from my Asian grocer:

Oh geez, I had to do dishes too, and then I started prep...My absent sous chef son was now also an absent dishwasher!  😲 I was in a mood to cook, so it was okay, though I will admit that I was thinking of tomorrow (Friday) and wishing the work week would end soon...tonight was therapeutic stress relief cooking...

I did the cucumber first.

I used about half of a long English one, cut it in half, peeled and scooped the seeds out with a spoon.  I then sliced it.  I put it in a dish with the vinegar (1/4 cup at most), covered it and put it in the fridge.

I decided I'd do all the garnishes first, so got the peanuts ready next and then the cilantro.  I would cut the lime at serving time.

I made the sauce next.  I was saving the hard work for the last, lol.

And sooo, I started all the washing and chopping, veggie-by-veggie...It isn't so bad once you start, it's just step-by-step and becomes a methodical rhythm.  I put it all into one bowl for the stir-fry portion.  I covered and put it back in the fridge until needed (Enter 'glass o'wine' break).

I noticed after looking at my recipe that I forgot the onion and garlic, so took it out of the fridge and added them.

I should mention that the "stuff to be added at the end" went into a separate container.

I boiled the noodles next as per packet instructions.  I threw all the seasoning packets in the garbage - so that rendered the $5 I paid for the noodles -  about worth a buck, lol - they were just regular ole cheap ramen noodles.  However, it was convenient for me and I didn't have to shop for fresh noodles and have to look for ones without cholesterol in them (these had none and I ignored all the other ingredients 😉).

I drained and left them in the sink, in the colander.

OMG, then it was time to finally cook!  Prep took me three hours at a leisurely pace.  I heated some avocado oil in the pan and then stir fried the first round of ingredients.

I let them go until all were almost fully cooked and browned.  I gaged it by the mushrooms and onions - about 20 minutes total...

The last ingredients to go in was the kale, sprouts, shrimp, green onions, broth, sauce, cod and noodles.

I mixed for about 10 more minutes and then tasted...I added a bit more sweet soy and then some Sriracha sauce as the jalapeno turned out to be a dud. Then I plated.  I was excited about the garnishes!  Those fried onions are so good, and the cucumber and everything else!

I loved the cold, vinegary cucumbers on top along with the crunch of the peanuts and cilantro bite.  I lost the fried onions in taste and texture, unfortunately.  This was spicy but I wanted it to be, but I wished I tasted more curry in it.  I'm sure the next time I make this, it will be a totally different dish, but this was perfectly satisfying in my books...and thank goodness for that, considering all the work I put into it.  I enjoyed it immensely.  I planned on making two sunny side up eggs to put on top of my son's when he got home from work.  Then maybe he wouldn't notice the asparagus.  😊