Out of the frying pan...

Chinese cooks often fry bundles of cooked wheat noodles ― mein ― in hot oil to create crisp-chewy beds for stir-fries. You can achieve the same effect without the mess of frying by coating the noodles with a little oil and crisping them up in the oven.

While the noodle pillows bake, quickly stir-fry shrimp and asparagus in a gingery sauce, then combine the elements for delicious contrasts of flavor and texture. It's a quick, interesting dinner the whole family will love.