Beef and Shiitake Noodle Bowl

Start the new year off right with a delicious bowl of noodles.  It just seems like the right thing to do.
1 lb petite sirloin steak, thinly sliced across grain

Marinade:
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili paste with garlic
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp fresh oregano

2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 cups dried shiitake mushrooms
4 cups water
1 tsp sesame oil
1-2 Tbsp soy sauce
crushed red pepper flakes

about 3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 lb spaghetti, cut in half, or favorite Asian noodles
palmful fresh cilantro
toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Whisk the marinade together in a shallow casserole or ziplock bag. Add the steak strips and mix well. Marinate at least an hour or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.

When ready to cook, return steak to room temperature.

Heat a grill to high. Meanwhile, sauté the carrot and onion in a medium pot with a bit of canola oil, over medium heat.

Cook the veggies until they begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and the water and bring to a simmer.

Allow the mushrooms to hydrate until completely soft. Using tongs, remove the larger mushrooms and slice coarsely. Return mushrooms to the soup. Add the sesame oil and enough soy sauce and crushed red pepper flakes to just season the broth to your liking. Add the cabbage and lower heat to the slowest simmer.

While the broth is simmering, set a medium pot of water to boiling for the noodles. Add the noodles and cook just until al dente. Meanwhile, grill the steak strips over high heat for 1-2 minutes per side. You can use a grill pan as well to cook the steak, if you like. Cut into bite-sized pieces.

When the noodles are done, drain and distribute among 4 large shallow bowls. Add the peas to the broth and heat through. Now ladle veggies and broth over noodles and scatter steak pieces over the noodles. Garnish with sesame seeds and fresh cilantro.

Serves 4.