Stir-Fried Fresh Rice Noodles with Rainbow Chard & Leeks

This is such a satsifying dish – and the result of shopping in the fridge. I had one bunch of rainbow chard and a leek from the farmers market that had been in the fridge a couple of days too long. I also had a package of fresh rice noodles that also had been in the fridge a couple of days too long and thus had hardened. The good thing is, all of these ingredients still could fulfill their potential together as a gorgeous and quick dinner for the family.

The rice noodles were from Rose Brand, made by local noodle and fortune cookie company, Tsue Chong, that has a factory in the International District. When the noodles are fresh, they are silky soft. You usually can find them in Asian groceries fresh. If the noodles feel hard, then it means they've been sitting around longer than a day. They also harden once stored in the refrigerator. But they are still useable, because they'll reconstitute in the sauce. They just won't be as pliable.

I visited the Tsue Chong factory and watched them make the rice noodles:

If you find yourself in the ID, you can visit the retail shop to get fresh rice noodles. They store them behind the counter, so you'll have to ask for the noodles. They come in sheets or pre-sliced. For this dish, get the sliced. The factory address is 800 S. Weller St., but the retail shop is located on the corner of South King St. and 8th Ave. S. The storefront is covered in bars and does not look like a welcoming retail shop. But if you see the giant bags of fortune cookies on the shelves, you know you're at the right place. The best part, one package of noodles is less than $2.

STIR-FRIED FRESH RICE NOODLES WITH RAINBOW CHARD AND LEEKS

1 package fresh rice noodles, pre-sliced (I suggest Rose Brand, which comes in a 2-pound package.)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 bunch rainbow chard, chopped

1 medium leek, halved and sliced

2 1/2 cups water

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

Salt to taste

Separate the noodles and set aside. Heat the wok over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and heat for a few seconds. Add the chard and leeks and stir fry for 1-2 minutes until soft. Add the water, soy sauce and hoisin. Stir to combine. Quickly taste the sauce to see if it needs more salt and add as needed. (The sauce needs to be slightly over-seasoned to accommodate the noodles.) Add the noodles and stir fry gently but quickly and thoroughly until all the noodles have been coated with sauce. Serve immediately.

Vegetarian Filling for Dumplings

This vegetarian dumpling was the one I served during Guest Chef Night at FareStart when I was one of three food bloggers featured. (Normally, the guest chefs are from restaurants.) The composition of the filling is flexible. On this day, I happened to have leeks to mix with the yu-choy, carrots, shiitakes and tofu. You can substitute vegetables according to your taste.

VEGETARIAN POTSTICKER FILLING

This is a stir fry that can be used as a filling for potstickers or it can be served as a dish with rice. Feel free to spice it up by adding a spoonful of your favorite chili sauce.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced leek, or 2 stalks finely chopped green onions
1 clove garlic, minced or crushed with a garlic press
1 cup diced shiitake mushrooms
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup five-spice pressed tofu, cut into small dice (see Note)
4 cups chopped yu-choy (or baby bok choy, Chinese cabbage or hearty greens of choice)
1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus extra to taste
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1. Heat the oil in the wok over high heat. (Alternatively, you can make this in a large saute pan.)
2. Add the leeks (or green onions) and garlic, and stir fry (use a spatula to stir, scoop and flip the ingredients) for about 20 seconds. Do so quickly to keep the garlic from burning. Resist the urge to turn down the heat. Just move quickly through the next steps.
3. Add the mushrooms and stir fry again continuously to keep the ingredients from burning, but also to help everything release their moisture. Do this for 10-15 seconds.
4. Add the greens, carrots and tofu (if using). Repeat the scooping and flipping again for a few seconds to combine all the ingredients.
5. Add the water and soy sauce. Stir fry for about 2 minutes, or until the greens have cooked down and the tofu has heated through.
6. Drizzle with sesame oil. Stir to combine. Turn off the heat.
7. Taste the vegetables. If it feels like you need to adjust for seasoning, you can add a splash of soy sauce or you can add a pinch of salt to taste. Because soy sauces differ in saltiness, you may have to adjust as needed.
8. Set aside to cool to room temperature before using in potstickers. As a filling, it will be too "saucy" so you will have to strain it. But as a stir fry over rice, you will need the sauce.

Note: When you buy tofu at an Asian market, you will find the a range of options (e.g. silken, soft, medium-firm, firm, extra-firm). You also will find the five-spice "dry" tofu, which is a pressed tofu. In Chinese, it's call dofu gan. Gan = dry. But the term gan is more about it being pressed versus dry-tasting. It's brown on the outside and the pieces are usually square and a half-inch or so thick. Different brands vary slightly in flavor, but get the one that's available to you.

Related content: If you need a reminder on how to make potsticker dough and how to pinch them, there's a recipe and video at this link: Potsticker Recipe