This is one of those kitchen sink recipes that changes depending upon mood and fridge contents. Nearly any combination of veggie will make this taste delicious. It's kind of a fusion between Japanese Udon and Vietnamese Pho. It's great comfort food for the colder temperatures, but still has a lightness to it that's not like your typical winter soup. The key ingredients here are hoisin sauce, sriracha and udon noodles. I personally can't make it without mint, either. I'll opt out of the mint if I'm using chicken or have just egg in there. But if I'm cooking up pork or beef, it's a must! The thick udon noodles have a chewy consistency, much like a rustic chicken noodle soup. I like to cook everything separately until adding it all together at the very end. It keeps anything from going mushy and flavorless. To keep yourself from going crazy, this is a great recipe for putting leftover vegetables and meat to use. I'll do meat and veggies with rice for one meal, cook an abundant amount of veggies and meat and warm those up for the udon. It helps to cut down on clean-up afterward. Here's how I do it:

Udon Fusion

makes enough for 2-4 people

• 1 package udon noodles any flavor (looks like this, you can find it in the international aisle in just about every grocery store)
• petite ball tip steak or boneless country style rib meat
• carrots
• broccoli
• green onions
• mint
• 2 eggs
• hoisin sauce
• sriracha
• lemon slice or bit of lemon juice

Start by steaming or pan frying veggies. I'll do a bit of a steam in a frying pan with water and a small pat of butter. Cook until browned and soft, or at least soft. You can use raw carrots here if you peel or grate the carrots. Cook your meat separately. I like to get the pan super hot with grapeseed oil, pepper and salt; then quickly fry up small slices of the meat. Alternatively, use pre-cooked meat for a speedier meal. Cook up the eggs. I may have some soft boiled eggs on hand that I'll add at the end (one to each dish) or I'll fry up an over-medium egg in a separate pan. Poached eggs are great here, too. Prepare the udon according to package instructions. If you're doing an unflavored package of udon, a bullion cube or chicken or beef stock is great to add into the cooking process. Chiffonade your mint and chop up green onions. Mix up the veggies and meat in the soup. Dish up the soup and place the egg, garnishes and sauces on top.   The kids love this recipe, but I'll nix the sauces for them. I may sneak a little sriracha when they're not looking, though.