Sneaky Veggies - Awesome Chow Mein Recipe

I'm a mother of two small kids - so of course I'm looking for ways to sneak vegetables into tasty dishes. I came across a recipe for Chow Mein and decided it was a great way to sneak in several cups of vegetables. And my kids gobble it up every time I make it.
This dish literally takes about 20 minutes to make - and it's one of my favorite weeknight dinners.
You can add in just about any shredded fresh vegetable you have on hand also - zucchini, peppers and parsnips are all easy to add in if you like.

Here's what you'll need to make it:

1 lb. cooked whole wheat spaghetti noodles
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded mushrooms (optional)
1/2 bunch green onions sliced in long thin strips
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. oil
toasted nuts for garnish (optional)

First, heat 1 Tbsp. oil (I used grapeseed oil)  in a large pan or wok. Add in cabbage, carrots, mushrooms & green onions.

Cook veggies until they are a bit wilted - maybe 5 minutes. They should look like this. While they are cooking, mix the salt into the water and set aside. In a separate small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, remaining 1 Tbsp. oil, honey and ketchup. Set this aside as well.

Add in the cooked spaghetti noodles and the salted water. Combine and mix it together and cook for one or two minutes. Then add the soy sauce mixture and toss everything together. Continue cooking and tossing for 2-3 minutes until everything is combined and heated through. Top with toasted cashews or peanuts and serve.

You can use regular chow mein noodles in this dish if you like. I just chose the whole wheat spaghetti for nutritional value. It's also easier to find in any supermarket. Instead of salt & water, you could use chicken or vegetable stock in the recipe. And if you like a bit of heat, add some ground chili pepper to your sauce. You'll find there are lots of great things you can add to your sauce if you have them on hand and want to add flavor. Tonight I added chopped fresh ginger & garlic to the vegetables before cooking them down and put a tablespoon of chunky peanut butter in my sauce. SO good.