Oodles of udon make a quick meal

To some of us, noodles are the ultimate comfort food. Combined with vegetables, noodles make a special and nutritious meal.

Of the many types, I find that thick white Japanese udon are very quick to prepare.

Find fresh udon in the refrigerated section, near other fresh noodles, or a shelf-stable version in the Asian food aisle. Udon is usually prepared in a soup broth, so stir-frying is a fun variation.

Add whatever leftover meat and vegetables you have in the refrigerator to make a satisfying main dish for your family.

Choose a sauce of some kind — in this case oyster sauce — and a bit of sesame oil before adding fresh udon straight out of the package. No rinsing or parboiling is needed. Add a hot sauce if you like your noodles spicy.

In this version, I sauteed strips of bacon — just three strips give the entire dish a smoky, meaty scent — along with green beans and a precut chop-suey mix, which includes cabbage, mung bean sprouts and slivered carrots.

The chop-suey mix is added last as it cooks the fastest, and it’s refreshing to have a bit of crunch from those veggies.

In no time at all, you will have tasty oodles of noodles.

STIR-FRIED UDON NOODLES WITH BACON AND VEGETABLES

By Lynette Lo Tom

• 1 (12-ounce) bag green beans, washed and trimmed of strings
• 3 strips bacon
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons Sriracha hot sauce (optional)
• 2 (7-ounce) bags fresh udon
• 1 (9-ounce) bag chop-suey mix (bean sprouts, cabbage, carrots)

>> Optional garnishes: Slivered green onions, cilantro sprigs, sesame seeds.

Peel and cut beans into slivers at a diagonal. Set aside.

Cut bacon into 1/4-inch strips and cook on medium-low heat in a large sauce pan until almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Add oyster sauce, sesame oil and hot sauce, if using. Add noodles and green beans; cook 5 minutes.

Add chop-suey mix; cook 5 minutes, until cabbage and sprouts are wilted, but still crisp.

Garnish as desired and serve hot. Serves 4 to 6.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 4 servings, not including garnishes): 310 calories, 13 g total fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 1,000 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 11 g protein.

”Easy Kine” features simple dishes that start with commercially prepared ingredients. Lynette Lo Tom is excited to hear your tried-and-true suggestions. Contact her at 275-3004, email lynette@brightlightcookery.com or via instagram at @brightlightcookery.