Noodles are, without a doubt, something that you can make fast, is relatively inexpensive, and a kid pleaser. These noodles are perfect for a lunchbox and if you want, you can throw in a bit of cooked chicken or shrimp instead of the nuts if your school is nut-free. At home, I love the crunchy goodness of cashews and serve this with any Asian style chicken, beef, or prawns and a salad. The ingredients are relatively easy to find, too! Skip the hot chile if you want and don’t be scared of fish sauce! It may not smell all that good but it adds a great non-fishy flavor to the dish.
Ingredients:
8oz Chinese egg noodles (chow mein noodles)
3/4 cup cashews, unsalted
1/2 medium red onion
small bunch of fresh cilantro
1 small red chile, seeded
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 lime
1 tsp Asian sesame oil
1 tsp Thai fish sauce
1 tsp honey
Put the noodles in a large bowl or pot and cover them with boiling water, and then a lid and let them steam for about 6 minutes until softened.
Meanwhile, bash up the cashews a little and then in a pan over medium heat, toast them until they are lightly browned. Turn the heat up to high and add the honey, stirring and moving them around until golden. Take off the heat and set aside.
In a food processor, pulse up half of the cilantro (stems, too!) red onion, and chile. Set aside. In a medium sized bowl, measure out the soy sauce, sesame oil, and fish sauce. Zest the lime and squeeze in the juice from both halves before giving it all a good stir.
Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water before draining well a second time. Toss in the bowl with the dressing, and add the contents of the food processor and the honeyed cashews. Give everything a good toss to make sure it’s all coated, and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings
Adapted from Meals in Minutes
Printer-friendly version