Skip takeout and make a healthier Chinese lo mein at home that's packed with vegetables. Make sure you drain your noodles well before adding them, as wet noodles will turn your stir-fry into a soggy mess. For a less spicy option, omit the Sriracha hot sauce.

Spicy Vegetable Lo Mein

Serves 4

Serving Size: about 1 1/2 cups

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Equipment: 14-inch flat-bottomed carbon-steel wok

8 ounces lo mein noodles, linguine or spaghetti

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

12 ounces Chinese broccoli (see notes) or broccolini

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon Shao Hsing rice wine (see notes) or dry sherry

1 tablespoon Sriracha or other Asian hot sauce

2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

6 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced

Pinch of salt

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Shake well to remove excess water. Transfer the noodles to a cutting board and roughly cut into thirds. Return the noodles to the pot and toss with sesame oil. Set aside.

Trim 1/4 inch off broccoli (or broccolini) stalks. If the stalks are thicker than 1/2 inch, cut in half lengthwise. Keeping them separate, cut stalks and leaves into 2-inch-long pieces. Combine soy sauce, rice wine (or sherry) and hot sauce in a small bowl.

Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or large heavy skillet (not nonstick) over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl in 1 tablespoon peanut oil, add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds.

Add mushrooms and broccoli (or broccolini) stalks, and stir-fry until all the oil is absorbed, about 30 seconds. Swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and add the noodles and broccoli leaves; stir-fry until just combined, about 15 seconds. Stir the soy sauce mixture and swirl it in. Sprinkle with salt and stir-fry until the noodles are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Recipe notes: Chinese broccoli has a slight bitter flavor reminiscent of broccoli rabe, which is a good substitute (as is broccolini). Look for it in Asian markets, at farmers' markets and some well-stocked supermarkets; opt for bunches with tight flower buds (open flowers are a sign of age).

Shao Hsing (or Shaoxing) is a seasoned rice wine used in Chinese cooking to flavor sauces, marinades and stir-fries. Look for it in Asian specialty markets or with other Asian ingredients in large supermarkets. In a pinch, dry sherry is a good substitute.

Recipe nutrition: Per serving: 351 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 53 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 4 g total sugars; 13 g protein; 5 g fiber; 427 mg sodium; 492 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (136 percent daily value), Vitamin A (30 percent dv), Folate (27 percent dv), Iron (16 percent dv)

3 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving(s)

Exchanges: 3 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 1/2 fat

(EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com.)