[070] Recipe: Pancit Canton

Pancit (or pansit) is a Filipino comfort food and is commonly served at birthday celebrations as "noodles represent long life and good health; they must not be cut short so as not to corrupt the symbolism."

Growing up, my mother prepared a lot of Filipino food for our family, especially when we lived in Guam. Two ingredients were always the same, carrots and celery, while she would sometimes use rice noodles or mix both types of noodles together. Either way, it is always delicious when Mom makes it.

Since my mom always uses chicken in her recipe, I really didn't have to do much to alter my own, but I didn't add any seafood options this time around.

If you're military, you can find these at your commissary.
Otherwise check your local Asian market.

My Pancit Canton recipe on AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 (8oz) package of Philippine-Style Noodles (aka pancit canton)
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup onions, chopped (I used red onions because it's all I had on hand and they add a nice color.)
3 - 4 carrots, sliced (long and thin, but I like to keep mine a little thick)
3 - 4 celery, sliced (long diagonal slices)
¼ head of cabbage, shredded
soy sauce
black pepper
garlic powder
onion powder

1. In a wok (or big pan), saute the onions in olive oil.

2. Add ¼ - ½ cup of water, carrots and celery, and let simmer for approximately 10 minutes or until cooked.

3. Add cabbage and cover wok for about 5 minutes to allow the steam to cook the cabbage. Feel free to add a little bit of seasonings.

4. Add the noodles. Scoop vegetables and broth onto noodles and simmer until noodles soften. If you need to, add ¼ cup more water to help soften the noodles.

Feel free to add any vegetables you'd like. Green beans, bean sprouts, red cabbage, broccoli, etc!