To be honest, it’s kind of personal preference here, but I like to use large shrimp for this dish. These usually come in around 35ish shrimp per pound, which means you can get six skewers with about six shrimp per skewer.

I wouldn’t go smaller than that on the shrimp or they will overcook on the grill. If you go larger, just do fewer shrimp per skewer. For dishes like this, I like to grill peeled shrimp so you can slide them from the skewer onto the plate!

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR GRILLING SHRIMP
The main trick to grilling shrimp is to cook it on high heat for a short time. You want to get a quick sear on them and they are done. If you overcook them they will get rubbery.

To prevent your shrimp from sticking to the grill, rub the hot grill grates with oil right before you add the shrimp.
Grill shrimp over direct heat, or if you’re using a gas grill, medium-high to high heat (375°F-450°F).
For large shrimp, you only need about two minutes per side for nice and juicy shrimp.

INGREDIENTS
For the sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
For the lo mein:

10 ounces lo mein noodles, fresh or dry
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 carrot, grated
1 small head napa cabbage, chopped
To garnish:

Fresh scallion, chopped
Sesame seeds
Wasabi edamame

1 Combine the sauce ingredients: In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, hot water, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil.

2 Cook the lo mein noodles: Fill a large pot with water and set it over medium heat. Add the salt and bring the water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until tender, usually around 4 minutes, but check the package directions for the noodles you are using.

Drain the noodles, transfer to a bowl, and toss with sesame oil to prevent sticking.

3 Cook the vegetables: Set a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add olive oil along with the sliced mushrooms, and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms lose their water and start to brown slightly. Then add the red pepper, carrot, and cabbage. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes, stirring regularly until the vegetables are wilted.

4 Add the noodles and sauce: Add noodles along with the sauce and stir with the vegetables to combine. The sauce should coat the noodles and vegetables. If the noodles seem dry, add more water, a tablespoon at a time.

Taste and adjust the flavor to your liking. It might need another dash of soy sauce, for example.

5 Serve: Serve the Veggie Lo Mein topped with scallions, sesame seeds, and wasabi edamame (if you like it hot) for some nice spicy crunch.

Leftovers! You can store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days. They will reheat beautifully in the microwave.

Mix the batter up with a whisk making sure there are no floury bits.
Prep. Prep all of the fillings. Cut up the octopus, slice the green onions and make sure you have everything at the ready: a little dish of oil, all your ingredients, some skewers to flip the balls, and a plate to serve on. Heat up the pan.
Pour and fill. Generously oil the pan with a brush or a paper towel dipped in oil. Give the batter a whisk then pour into the individual compartments all the way up to the top. It’s okay if they overflow a bit. Add in the fillings and let cook until the edges start to look more solid and opaque.
Flip. Use your skewers to turn the takoyaki 90 degrees. If they don’t easily move, they need more time to crisp up. Once they’re at a 90° angle, pour in a bit more batter to ensure a super round ball. Let cook, stuffing in any excess batter that’s outside the ball, then turn again. You should have a round ball. Cook until the balls are crispy and brown, moving the balls around from mold to mold to evenly cook (this is because most pans will have uneven heating). As the balls crisp up, it will be easier to flip them.
Sauce. When the balls are golden and crisp, pop them on a plate and brush with takoyaki sauce and squeeze on some mayo.
Top. Finish with a sprinkle of bonito and aonori. Enjoy!

A gourmet utility whisk for hand whipping creamy liquids and mixing batters. This stainless steel tool is designed to be long-lasting, so you can continue to rely on it throughout your baking adventures! A set of silicone baking cups for a greener baking experience. Your treats will pop out easily from these non-stick cups, and you can toss them in the dishwasher when the cupcake is done! An adjustable cake leveler because lumpy, uneven layers of cake are a thing of the past. If you see a leveled, tiered cake in your future, this is for you! A set of four mini tart tins with removable bottoms from employee-owned company King Arthur Baking. It’ll be easy to make amazing individually-sized tarts and quiches!
A set of three cookie scoops so you always get the perfect amount of dough to make your world-famous chocolate chip cookies. A silicone bread maker that’ll take the guesswork out of making perfectly shaped and textured bread. Its design allows for steam to circulate, so your dough never loses moisture. It even comes with recipes if bread baking is as new to you as 2021 is. This mixing bowl invention is genius. Bread making always makes such a mess, but with the Lekue Silicone Bread Maker, I can mix, proof and bake all in one bowl. It was a big advantage for proofing wetter dough like crusty artisan or sourdough because transferring that wetter dough out of the proofing container without degassing it was always a challenge. Being able to do everything in one container is extremely helpful.

Sweet Mix Steps
In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, sugar, corn syrup and salt. Cover and heat over medium high for 3-4 minutes. Uncover, clip on your candy thermometer, and cook until the mixture reaches 240 (which should take about 7-8 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat immediately.

Turn your mixer on low, and slowly pour the sugar syrup into the bowl. When all the syrup is added, crank up the speed to high. Beat the mixture for about 6 minutes then turn the machine to low and add the maple syrup and rum. Increase the speed back up to high to fully incorporate the liquid and continue beating until the mixture is thick, glossy and has cooled slightly. It should take about a total of 12-15 minutes.

Generously coat a spatula with cooking spray and use it to turn the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan. Spread the mixture evenly around the pan and all the way to the sides.

A gourmet utility whisk for hand whipping creamy liquids and mixing batters. This stainless steel tool is designed to be long-lasting, so you can continue to rely on it throughout your baking adventures! A set of silicone baking cups for a greener baking experience. Your treats will pop out easily from these non-stick cups, and you can toss them in the dishwasher when the cupcake is done! An adjustable cake leveler because lumpy, uneven layers of cake are a thing of the past. If you see a leveled, tiered cake in your future, this is for you! A set of four mini tart tins with removable bottoms from employee-owned company King Arthur Baking. It’ll be easy to make amazing individually-sized tarts and quiches!
A set of three cookie scoops so you always get the perfect amount of dough to make your world-famous chocolate chip cookies. A silicone bread maker that’ll take the guesswork out of making perfectly shaped and textured bread. Its design allows for steam to circulate, so your dough never loses moisture. It even comes with recipes if bread baking is as new to you as 2021 is. This mixing bowl invention is genius. Bread making always makes such a mess, but with the Lekue Silicone Bread Maker, I can mix, proof and bake all in one bowl. It was a big advantage for proofing wetter dough like crusty artisan or sourdough because transferring that wetter dough out of the proofing container without degassing it was always a challenge. Being able to do everything in one container is extremely helpful.

Mix the batter up with a whisk making sure there are no floury bits.
Prep. Prep all of the fillings. Cut up the octopus, slice the green onions and make sure you have everything at the ready: a little dish of oil, all your ingredients, some skewers to flip the balls, and a plate to serve on. Heat up the pan.
Pour and fill. Generously oil the pan with a brush or a paper towel dipped in oil. Give the batter a whisk then pour into the individual compartments all the way up to the top. It’s okay if they overflow a bit. Add in the fillings and let cook until the edges start to look more solid and opaque.
Flip. Use your skewers to turn the takoyaki 90 degrees. If they don’t easily move, they need more time to crisp up. Once they’re at a 90° angle, pour in a bit more batter to ensure a super round ball. Let cook, stuffing in any excess batter that’s outside the ball, then turn again. You should have a round ball. Cook until the balls are crispy and brown, moving the balls around from mold to mold to evenly cook (this is because most pans will have uneven heating). As the balls crisp up, it will be easier to flip them.
Sauce. When the balls are golden and crisp, pop them on a plate and brush with takoyaki sauce and squeeze on some mayo.
Top. Finish with a sprinkle of bonito and aonori. Enjoy!