Welcome back to the Planet Forward blog for another delicious Meatless Monday recipe. As a part of our commitment to leading a more sustainable lifestyle, we have pledged to be part of the Meatless Monday movement. By abstaining from eating meat once a week you can enjoy both ecological and health benefits. Today, we will be celebrating the Chinese New Year. For those that don’t know, 4709 is the year of the dragon and in honor of that we’re making a popular take-out dish. On the menu tonight is spinach and mushroom lo mein from the Martha Stewart kitchens at Everyday Food. Let’s get cooking.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces lo mein noodles
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup cremini or button mushrooms, trimmed, halved if large
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 cups tightly packed spinach leaves (4 ounces), torn
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Directions:

1. In a medium pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package instructions.
2. Drain noodles and place in a bowl of cold water.
3. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add scallion, ginger, and garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Drain noodles and add to skillet along with spinach. Toss until spinach wilts and noodles are warmed through. Add soy sauce and sesame oil and toss to combine.

This recipe for spinach and mushroom lo mein yields one serving, but can be adjusted easily to feed a crowd. This dish will reheat well, just like its take-out counterpart does. If you are looking for a gluten-free version of this recipe, use rice noodles and swap tamari for soy sauce.

When celebrating Chinese New Year there are certain foods that bring luck in the coming year. Eating long noodles means you will have a long life. If you have oranges for dessert they symbolize wealth and luck in the coming year. Serving sweets will be sweetness into your life for the next year. These simple traditions help connect you to Chinese customs and make for a more authentic New Year celebration. To add to this festive offering, serve with vegetarian spring rolls and maybe even purchase some fortune cookies for dessert. The best part about this meal is that you know and control every ingredient. Gung Hay Fat Choy!

To learn more about improving your sustainable lifestyle, please visit the Meatless Monday website and pledge your support.
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