Cate Parr/Silver Ridge studio Watercolor print winner and vegan jap chae (Korean stir-fried sweet potato noodles) {recipe}

• 1 bundle of potato starch cellophane noodles called dangmyeon (most packages contain 2-3 bundles and can be purchased at any Korean grocery store or most Asian markets)
• 1 bunch of fresh spinach
• 1 medium yellow onion, julienned
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into match sticks
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 8-10 fresh mushrooms (shitake, portabello), sliced
• 2 stalks green onions, sliced in 1.5” slices (green parts only)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil or Canola oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided  
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
• 1.5 tablespoons sugar
• pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation

1. Boil one bundle of noodles for 5 minutes until softened and al dente in texture.  Drain the noodles and add to a large mixing bowl.  Cut them a few times with kitchen shears.

2. Add 1.5 tablespoons (each) of soy sauce and sesame seed oil.  Toss noodles until sauce is evenly distributed and set aside.  

3. Using the same pot as the noodles, add enough water to boil spinach for 1 minute.  Remove spinach from water and allow to cool just enough to squeeze as much water out as possible.  Cut spinach in thirds, and massage it while seasoning with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Add spinach to the large noodle filled bowl.

4. Heat a large frying pan on high. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and cook sliced onions for 2 minutes until they become slightly golden.  Add onions to the large bowl of noodles.  

5. Stir fry the remaining vegetables with these reduced cooking times: 30 seconds for the carrots, 2 minutes for the red pepper, 1 minute for the mushrooms, and 10 seconds for the green onions. 

6. Add 1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, and 1.5 tablespoons of sugar, and ½ teaspoon of ground pepper to the large noodle bowl and toss everything until well mixed.
7. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the hot wok and add minced garlic.  Allow garlic to cook for a few seconds and add the entire bowl of mix noodles and vegetables to the wok/pan. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top, if using.  Serve warm or cold.  Enjoy!