Tonight, let’s have some fun with rice flakes. I don’t know many people that do not enjoy pad see ew, pad kee mao, drunken noodles, etc but I also don’t know many people that cook with rice flakes so they can enjoy these type of meals at home. Well, we are going to change that with this recipe!

Asparagus Beef with Rice Flakes

Ingredients:

• 6 oz thin sliced beef, sliced into strips
• 1/2 lb asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch sections
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced on a bias
• 1 stalk celery, cut on bias
• 1/2 red pepper (diced or sliced, your preference)
• 2 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• togarishi shichimi
• 4 oz rice flakes
• white and black sesame seeds (optional)

– Sauce

• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp sambal
• 2 tsp hoisin sauce
• 4 tsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup of water

Preparation:

Heat a large pot of water (> 4 cups of water) to boiling. Drizzle the sesame oil over the meet and sprinkle the togarishi, toss to coat and set aside to meld for 10 – 15 minutes. Prepare your vegetables as the meat melds and the water comes to a boil. In a small bowl, add the cornstarch, soy sauce, fish sauce, sambal, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, and beef broth. Whisk to combine and set aside.

Heat a large skillet or wok over high/medium high heat. When the water for the rice flakes is boiling, add the rice flakes, stirring gently to avoid breaking them. The noodles will take approximately 10 – 12 minutes to cook. After 7 minutes, turn off the heat and allow the noodles to soak in the hot water. Test them for softness and when ready, drain in a colander and rinse in cold water.

In the wok or skillet, add the meat and sear for a 60 – 90 seconds before turning. When the meat is no longer pink, add the vegetables, except the garlic.

Stir fry for 3 – 5 minutes until the asparagus is bright green. Add the garlic and toss until fragrant. Add the sauce and boil quickly to thicken, adding the 1/2 cup of water was needed to make the sauce the consistency you desire.

Lastly add the drained noodles and toss to coat with the sauce.

Plate and sprinkle with white and black sesame seeds.