Noodles with Chicken Breast and Cashew Nuts

Ingredients: 1 onion, 1 teaspoon chilli jam, 1 chicken breast, 1 red pepper, 125 grams beansprouts, 50 grams cashew nuts, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce,

Cook the noodles according pack instructions. Bake in hot oil 1 chopped onion with 1 teaspoon sambal until the onion is golden brown. Add 1 diced chicken breast and cook the chicken breast brown. Add 1 chopped red pepper and stir fry about 1 minute. Add 125 grams beansprouts, 50 grams cashew nuts, 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon fish sauce. Stir fry about 5 minutes. Add the noodles to the chicken mixture and serve. Enjoy!

Noodles with Brocolli and Chicken

Ingredients: noodles, 300 grams broccoli, salt, 1 onion, 1 chicken breast, 250 grams mushrooms, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce, 50 grams cashew nuts,

Cook the noodles according pack instructions. Boil 300 grams broccoli florets al dente in water with a little salt. Pour it off and keep separate. Bake in hot oil 1 chopped onion until soft. Add 1 diced chicken breast and cook the chicken breast brown. Add 250 grams sliced mushrooms and stir fry until the mushrooms are tender. Put the broccoli florets in and add 2 tablespoons fish sauce and 3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce. Heat a bit more. Add at last about 50 grams cashew nuts. Serve the chicken and broccoli with the noodles. Enjoy!

Noodles with Chicken Breast and Soy Sauce

Ingredients: noodles, 1 chicken breast, salt, pepper, ginger powder, 250 grams mushrooms, 3 spring onions, dash white wine, 50 ml water, 1 tablespoon honey, 3 tablespoons soy sauce,

Number of people: 2

Cook the noodles according pack instructions. Bake in hot oil 1 diced chicken breast, season with salt, pepper and ginger powder. Bake the diced chicken breast golden brown. Add 250 grams sliced mushrooms and stir until the mushrooms have softened. Add 3 chopped spring onions and stir fry about a 1 minute. Pour a dash of white wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Add 50 ml water, 1 tablespoon honey and 3 tablespoons soy sauce. Bring it briefly to the boil and let it reduce by half. Serve the chicken breast with mushrooms with the noodles. Enjoy!

Noodles with Chicken, Peppers and Shiitake

Ingredients: noodles, 1 chicken breast, 1 onion, salt, pepper, 1 red pepper, 100 grams shiitake, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 125 ml sweet chilli sauce,

Number of persons: 2

Prepare the noodles according pack instructions. Bake in hot oil 1 diced chicken breast with 1 chopped onion until the chicken breast is brown. Add 1 chopped red pepper and 100 grams shiitake and stir fry 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and 125 ml sweet chilli sauce and stir fry another minute or two. Serve with noodles. Enjoy!

Noodles with Sweet and Sour Vegetables

Ingredients: 400 grams beans, noodles, 1/2 jar sour & hot pickled vegetables, 4 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce, 1 spring onion,

Number of persons: 2

Boil the green beans al dente in boiling water with a littlesalt. Boil the noodles according pack instructions. Pour the beans and stir fry together with 1/2 jar sour & hot pickled vegetables, 4 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce and 1 sliced spring onion until it is hot. Enjoy!

Noodles with Broccoli, Cashews and Sweet Chilli Sauce

Ingredients: broccoli, noodles, 200 grams diced ham, 1 onion, 200 gram mushrooms, 100 ml sweet chilli sauce, 100 gram cashew nuts,

Number of persons: 3

Boil 1 broccoli cut in florets al dente in boiling water with salt. Prepare the noodles according to the instructions on the package. Bake in hot oil 200 grams diced ham and 1 chopped onion until the onion has softened. Add 200 grams of mushrooms and stir until the mushrooms have softened. Add the broccoli florets and 100 ml sweet chilli sauce. Heat well. Add as last 100 grams cashewnuts. Serve with noodles.

Noodles with Peppers and Cucumber

Ingredients: noodles, 1 onion, 1 orange pepper, 50 grams cashew nuts, 1/2 cucumber, 3 tablespoons sweet soy sauce, dash of lime juice,

Number of persons: 2

Boil the noodles following pack instructions. Bake 1 chopped onion and 1 sliced orange pepper to the soft. Add 50 grams cashew nuts and fry them briefly. Pour the noodles and put it together with 1/2 sliced cucumber to the onion and pepper. Bring to taste with 3 tablespoons sweet soy sauce and a dash of lime juice. Enjoy!

Sesame Noodles with Peanuts and Basil

It feels so good to be cooking again. I didn’t know how much more eating out my stomach (and wallet) could take…

This is a great summer meal. They can be served hot or cold, and make GREAT leftovers the next day (in fact, it may have been better the next day!). We added some tofu, just to give it more substance as a main dish. We just sautéed the tofu in a bit of oil, soy sauce, and siracha hot sauce until browned.

The part about sitting 1 hour… right. If you’ve read our blog enough you’d know we’re just not that patient. So we ate these hot. Still good, and much quicker. :)

Sesame Noodles with Peanuts and Basil

Makes 4-6 servings. Recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
11/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon (or more) hot chili oil (we used Mongolian fire oil… not sure if that’s what the recipe was calling for or not.)
11/2 teaspoons salt
1 pound fresh Chinese egg noodles (about 1/16 inch in diameter) or fresh angel hair pasta
12 green onions (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted peanuts
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh Thai basil leaves (or regular basil will work just fine)

DIRECTIONS
Heat peanut oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Transfer to large bowl. Add next 6 ingredients; whisk to blend.

Place noodles in sieve over sink. Separate noodles with fingers and shake to remove excess starch. Cook in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain thoroughly and transfer to bowl with sauce. Add sliced green onions and toss to coat noodles. Let stand at room temperature until noodles have absorbed dressing, tossing occasionally, about 1 hour. Stir in peanuts and Thai basil; toss again. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

Noodles with Peanut Sauce, Kale, and Zucchini

First of all, ignore this entire recipe except for the peanut sauce. It just might be the best peanut sauce recipe ever.

The veggies were an utter failure. I wouldn’t even be posting this recipe if the peanut sauce hadn’t been so darn good. We don’t have a grill, so maybe they would have been better cooked that way (feel free to try it and let us know how it tastes), but we sautéed the veggies, and the zucchini got way over done (ie: mush) and the kale was still bitter and chewy. Next time, we’ll use the sauce and add some tofu and maybe some properly cooked zucchini and/or bok choy.

Noodles with Peanut Sauce, Kale, and Zucchini

Makes 6 servings. Recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup super-chunky peanut butter
1/3 cup (or more) water
1/4 cup packed golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons hot chili sauce
1 12-oz package dried chow mein udon noodles
4 large zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices
8 ounces green curly kale, thick stems removed
olive oil (for brushing)
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS
Blend peanut butter, 1/3 cup water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame seeds, ginger, garlic, and chili sauce in blender until smooth, adding more water by tablespoonfuls if too thick. Can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill.

Cook udon noodles according to package directions. Drain, Run under cold water to cool. Drain again.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush zucchini and kale with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill zucchini until tender and slightly charred, about 3 minutes per side. Grill kale until brown around edges, about 1 minute per side.

Toss udon noodles, green onions, and cilantro with peanut sauce in large bowl. Divide noodle mixture among 6 bowls. Top noodle mixture with zucchini and kale and serve.

Stir Fry Veggies and Noodles with Soy Lime Dipping Sauce

This is a pretty involved recipe, but the results are well worth it. The cookbook we used for this had each part of the recipe in a different area of the book, so flipping back and forth probably made it seem more difficult than it really was. I’ve combined it all into one place to make it easier for you!

The dish has a delicious, earthy flavor, mainly due to the shiitake mushrooms. I wouldn’t recommend substituting any other mushrooms in their place, as this flavor is so distinct and so delicious. I’m sure either dried or fresh ones would work just fine! We used the dried, which honestly are amazing, how they just come back to life in minutes.

Vermicelli rice noodles are one of the hardest things to cook. This was really the first time we did it right. The key, we think, is not to overcook them at all. Even leave them undercooked if you need to. It’s better than the goopy, sticky mess they become when cooked to long.

Complicated or not, if you’re up for it, this dish is well worth it! The photo does not do the flavor justice.

Stir Fry Veggies and Noodles with Soy Lime Dipping Sauce

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table.

INGREDIENTS
Noodles:
2/3 lb. small dried rice vermicelli
2 cups shredded red- or green-leaf lettuce
1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
1/3 cucumber, seeded and cut into matchsticks
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/3 cup Asian basil leaves, roughly chopped

Stir Fry:
6 ounces tofu
1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
8 dried Chinese black (shiitake) mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, then drained, stemmed, and sliced.
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Dipping Sauce:
1 clove garlic
2 fresh Thai bird chilies
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice with pulp
1/4 cup water, or to taste

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the vermicelli and stir gently to loosen them. Cook until the noodles are whit and soft but still slightly resilient, about 4 minutes. Do not overcook! Drain and rinse under cold running water. Gently fluff the noodles and set them aside for at least 30 minutes. Noodles should be dry before servings.

Gently toss together lettuce, bean sprouts, cucumbers, mint, and basil. Divide the salad mixture among 4 bowls. Top each with 1/4 of the rice noodles.

Cut the tofu slab into 3 or 4 manageable pieces and press with a dish towel to remove excess water. Heat 2-3 tablespoons oil in a nonstick pan over moderate heat. Add tofu in one layer and cook, turning once, until golden, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels, and then cut into 1/4 inch thick strips.

Blanch carrots in boiling water for 1 minute. Rinse and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the onion and garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, soy sauce, sugar, and coconut milk. Stir, then reduce the heat slightly and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tofu and carrot and cook until all the ingredients are hot, 2-3 minutes. Add a little water if the pan gets too dry.

To make dipping sauce, place garlic, chilies, and sugar in a mortar and pound into a paste. Alternatively, you may chop the garlic and chilies by hand as finely as possible. Transfer to a small bowl and add the soy sauce, lime juice, and water. Stir until well blended.

Divide the vegetable topping among the 4 bowls of noodles. Garnish each with chopped peanuts and drizzle with soy-lime dipping sauce.

Peanut Curry Noodles with Seared Shrimp & Scallops

In my obsession with all things pumpkin, I found this recipe. When we went to make it, however, we made an executive decision to leave the pumpkin out. We felt there were TOO many things going on in this recipe, and decided that simplifying it would be in our best interests.

The results were delicious. A yummy peanut sauce and perfectly spiced seafood were a delicious combination. The pumpkin was not missed at all. We also added some coconut milk to the sauce to thin it out a bit, and a bit of sesame oil for some toasted flavor. If you’re not a big seafood fan this same noodle/sauce combination would be great with chicken or beef, or plain by itself. Delicious.

Peanut Curry Noodles with Seared Shrimp & Scallops

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Rachel Ray, with modifications.

INGREDIENTS
1 package noodles (we used the refrigerated kind found by the wonton wrappers)

5 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 inches ginger root, minced or grated
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 to 1/3 cup tamari dark soy sauce
2 rounded tablespoonfuls red curry paste
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 cup light coconut milk
2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoons five-spice powder
12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 diver scallops, trimmed and patted dry
4 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces, then thinly sliced lengthwise into matchsticks
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS
Heat a large pot of water for noodles. When water boils, add noodles and cook according to package directions.

While noodles cook, heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil. Add garlic, ginger, red bell pepper, and pepper flakes to the pan and cook together a couple of minutes, then add peanut butter and melt it. Whisk soy into peanut butter, then stir in curry paste. Turn down the heat to low. Add sesame oil, coconut milk, and brown sugar and stir until combined. Adjust seasoning as necessary (you probably won’t need salt, but taste just in case).

Heat a small to medium skillet over high heat. Rub seafood with spice powder. Add 3 tablespoons of remaining oil to hot skillet. Place the shrimp in the pan and cook 1 minute, flip and sear the other side until just opaque. Remove shrimp to a plate and set aside. Add another 3 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and heat back up to smoking. Add the scallops and sear on both sides until opaque. Remove scallops and add to the plate of shrimp.

Drain noodles and return to pot. Add the sauce and toss thoroughly. Serve noodles on plates and top with scallions, cilantro, and seafood.

Green Curry Shrimp with Noodles

We’re huge fans of red curry, but decided it was time to mix things up a bit. The flavors of red and green curry are subtly different, the green being much more mild and almost sweet. This recipe pairs the green curry with shrimp and delicate rice noodles, and with a tang of cilantro is a simple recipe with a complex taste. This recipe is also much lighter than the red curry we make (though that probably has to do with the lower-fat coconut milk and the addition of chicken broth). Sometimes our red curry is too rich to enjoy it fully, but not this curry. If one could describe curry as “light,” this would be the recipe to do it.

Also, we’ve never been able to find fresh lemongrass at any “normal” grocery store. We did, however, manage to sag a bottle of dried (albeit expensive) lemongrass stalks. Just soak them in water for half and hour or so and it’s almost as good as the fresh stuff. Almost. I wonder how many people would have to petition Kroger before they’d start carrying fresh lemongrass? Hmmm…

Green Curry Shrimp with Noodles

Makes 4 servings.
Recipe from Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup chopped shallots (about 4)
2 fresh lemongrass stalks (optional), 1 or 2 outer leaves discarded and lower 6 inches of stalks thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro stems
1 to 2 tablespoons bottled Asian green curry paste
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (13- to 14-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk (not low-fat)
1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 fl oz)
3/4 lb dried flat 3/8-inch-wide rice noodles or 1/2 lb dried flat 1/8-inch-wide stir-fry rice noodles
1 1/2 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp (21 to 25 per lb)
2 to 3 teaspoons Asian fish sauce, or to taste

DIRECTIONS
Purée shallots, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, and cilantro stems in a blender with curry paste, sugar, salt, turmeric, and water until as smooth as possible, about 1 minute.

Heat oil in a 4-quart wide heavy pot over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook curry paste mixture, stirring frequently, until it just begins to stick to bottom of pot, 8 to 10 minutes. Add coconut milk and broth and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 3 2/3 cups, 8 to 10 minutes.

While sauce simmers, cook noodles in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Drain noodles well and divide among 4 large bowls.

Add shrimp to sauce and simmer, stirring, until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in fish sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Ladle shrimp and sauce over noodles.