Spicy Lamb & Beef Noodles

Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut off and discard the root ends of the mushrooms; place in a medium bowl. Snap off and discard the stem end of each snap pea; pull off and discard the tough string that runs the length of the pod. Peel and roughly chop the ginger. Peel the carrots and thinly slice on an angle. Thinly slice the celery on an angle. Thinly slice the garlic chives.

In a small pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-low until hot. Add as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Turn off the heat and add ¾ of the vinegar. Carefully pour into the bowl of mushrooms. Stir to coat and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the mushrooms marinate, fill a bowl with ice water; add a pinch of salt. Set aside. To the pot of boiling water, add the snap peas and cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 3 minutes, or until bright green and slightly softened. Leaving the pot of water boiling, using a strainer or slotted spoon, immediately transfer the cooked snap peas to the bowl of ice water and let stand until cool. Drain thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.

While the snap peas cool, in a large, high-sided pan (or pot), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the ground lamb and beef; season with salt, pepper, and the spice blend. Cook, frequently breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 5 to 7 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Add the ginger, carrots, and celery; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 7 to 9 minutes, or until softened. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the noodles to the same pot of boiling water (carefully separating with your hands before adding). Cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until the noodles are tender. Reserving ½ cup of the noodle cooking water, drain thoroughly. To the pan of cooked meat and vegetables, add the cooked noodles, shocked snap peas, peppercorn sauce, half the garlic chives, and half the reserved noodle cooking water. Cook on medium-high, stirring vigorously, 1 to 2 minutes, or until coated. (If the sauce seems dry, gradually add the remaining noodle cooking water to achieve your desired consistency.) Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the finished noodles between 2 dishes. Top with the marinated mushrooms (including any marinating liquid). Garnish with the remaining garlic chives. Enjoy!