Homemade Take-Out

I love Asian take out, but always feel guilty when I see that pool of grease at the bottom of my styrofoam box. Recently, I have made it my mission to create this guilty pleasure at home, minus the guilt. Not only am I in control of how much fat is used, but I also am sure of the freshness of my ingredients! My most successful creation is this asian inspired noodle bowl. I always have ground beef in my freezer. It is cheap, quick to defrost, and yummy. Ground beef, however is not usually seen in asian dishes. So, I got cookin and came up with these yummy, beefy Dan Dan Noodles.

Dan Dan Noodles

What you will need:

1lb ground beef (I used 90/10)
1 Tbs. Sesame oil
1/4 c. brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbs chile garlic sauce
1 tsp, sriracha sauce
1 tsp, fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 c. soy sauce
3 scallion stalks, chopped
1 c. beef broth mixed with 1 c. water
1 lb fresh egg noodles

Heat a skillet over medium heat with the sesame oil. Add the ground beef in when the oil begins to ripple (thats how you know its hot). When the beef begins to brown, add the garlic and ginger. Cook until beef is fully browned. Then, add the rest of the ingredients through the soy sauce. Simmer this mixture until it reduces, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, cook your pasta according package instructions while the beef is cooking. If you cannot find fresh egg noodles (in the produce section of the grocery store) you can substitute linguine. In a small saucepan, heat the broth and water mixture until it just begins to boil. Then turn off the heat. When everything is ready, add the noodles to your bowls, top with the hot broth, then the beef mixture. Garnish with the chopped scallions. Enjoy your guilt free take out!!