Noodle Soup
I'm just enjoying a cup of espresso, my husband is engrossed in the England v Sri Lanka one dayer and is simultaneously attempting the following conversation "oh, the character in my book has just been sucked into a worm hole in a space ship embedded in a spline warship and is now 5 million years in the future and on the other side...." I have zoned out, it's definitely blog time!
A strange day today, lots of talk about blogs at work, looking at Tammy's "The Not So Hairy Biker"http://thenotsohairybiker.blogspot.com with it's restaurant reviews and my pizza recipe and so as usual conversation turned to food. I mentioned that I'd watched "Come Dine with Me" (Channel 4 5pm daily) yesterday. A self proclaimed Barbie/glamour model wanna be made a sausage themed dinner. The piéce de resistance being a hideous trifle with hidden sausages in the strawberry jelly. It set us off on a flight of fantasy inventing a savoury trifle - sausages in aspic, topped with a layer of paté crowned with creamed potatoes and sprinkled with crispy fried onions...very Heston and Tammy did mention that when she ate at the Fat Duck she ate a savoury jelly topped with parfait, so perhaps we're not being so crazy after all - I feel a dare coming on for someone!
Today was a whirl wind as usual, lots to think about., decisions to be made, a bit of bad news, an impromptu shopping trip, all that meant we didn't start Lauren's homework project again, and a speedy tea was needed. As we'd already had the speedy pizza yesterday it needed to be something different. Out with another old faithful originally called Noodle Soup for Needy People from the Nigella Express book, but again adapted to our needs....
Noodle Soup
First you need a broth...
750 ml of stock (for 2-3 people)...whatever you've got chicken, fish or vegetable, cube or home made or shop bought depending on time or budget
Add to that 1 teaspoon of soft brown sugar, 2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce, some grated fresh ginger (or any ginger you have jarred or dry to taste), 1 star anise
Bring it all to a simmer.
Next you need to get the other components ready, you can go vegetarian or you can add prawns, or chunks of salmon, or squid rings, or strips of chicken breast or strips of beef, poach them in the broth along with the vegetables, add them according to how long they will take to cook, cook them as you like, not long if you like crunchy, longer if you like soft. Choose from the following or try your own, in volumes appropriate to the number of diners
The list is endless. Finally you need some noodles I use dried udon noodles, but I've used fresh ones, wok ready ones, thread noodles, soba noodles, rice noodles are great and easy to prepare. Prepare them according to the instructions so they are ready at the same time as the meat and veg in the broth.
Divide the noodles between the bowls, the same with the meat or fish (if using) and then ladle over the broth and vegetables and there you have a relatively cheap, quick, healthy meal.
Tonight I stir fried some chicken thighs in "ketjap mani" a sweet soy sauce (available from M&S), ginger and 5 five spice to put in ours with chicken stock, udon noodles, baby sweetcorn, bean sprouts, shitake mushrooms and pak choi.
I didn't have any but you can sprinkle some fresh coriander over if you like, especially nice if you're using prawns.
A strange day today, lots of talk about blogs at work, looking at Tammy's "The Not So Hairy Biker"http://thenotsohairybiker.blogspot.com with it's restaurant reviews and my pizza recipe and so as usual conversation turned to food. I mentioned that I'd watched "Come Dine with Me" (Channel 4 5pm daily) yesterday. A self proclaimed Barbie/glamour model wanna be made a sausage themed dinner. The piéce de resistance being a hideous trifle with hidden sausages in the strawberry jelly. It set us off on a flight of fantasy inventing a savoury trifle - sausages in aspic, topped with a layer of paté crowned with creamed potatoes and sprinkled with crispy fried onions...very Heston and Tammy did mention that when she ate at the Fat Duck she ate a savoury jelly topped with parfait, so perhaps we're not being so crazy after all - I feel a dare coming on for someone!
Today was a whirl wind as usual, lots to think about., decisions to be made, a bit of bad news, an impromptu shopping trip, all that meant we didn't start Lauren's homework project again, and a speedy tea was needed. As we'd already had the speedy pizza yesterday it needed to be something different. Out with another old faithful originally called Noodle Soup for Needy People from the Nigella Express book, but again adapted to our needs....
Noodle Soup
First you need a broth...
750 ml of stock (for 2-3 people)...whatever you've got chicken, fish or vegetable, cube or home made or shop bought depending on time or budget
Add to that 1 teaspoon of soft brown sugar, 2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce, some grated fresh ginger (or any ginger you have jarred or dry to taste), 1 star anise
Bring it all to a simmer.
Next you need to get the other components ready, you can go vegetarian or you can add prawns, or chunks of salmon, or squid rings, or strips of chicken breast or strips of beef, poach them in the broth along with the vegetables, add them according to how long they will take to cook, cook them as you like, not long if you like crunchy, longer if you like soft. Choose from the following or try your own, in volumes appropriate to the number of diners
- Baby sweetcorn
- Beansprouts
- Sugar snaps or mange tout
- Shitake mushrooms
- Chestnut mushrooms
- Chilli's
- Pak Choi
- Peppers
- Finely sliced carrot
- Courgette batons
- Water chestnuts
The list is endless. Finally you need some noodles I use dried udon noodles, but I've used fresh ones, wok ready ones, thread noodles, soba noodles, rice noodles are great and easy to prepare. Prepare them according to the instructions so they are ready at the same time as the meat and veg in the broth.
Divide the noodles between the bowls, the same with the meat or fish (if using) and then ladle over the broth and vegetables and there you have a relatively cheap, quick, healthy meal.
Tonight I stir fried some chicken thighs in "ketjap mani" a sweet soy sauce (available from M&S), ginger and 5 five spice to put in ours with chicken stock, udon noodles, baby sweetcorn, bean sprouts, shitake mushrooms and pak choi.
I didn't have any but you can sprinkle some fresh coriander over if you like, especially nice if you're using prawns.
I am rubbish at noodles. I think I buy the wrong ones.You will have to show me how to do it.
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