For each occasion in life where giving gifts is typical,
there will always be a standard, go-to present you are likely to receive. This present is usually stereotypical of the
occasion and if anyone were to guess, they’d get it in three.
Christmas – socks.
Valentine’s Day – chocolate.
Wedding – money. Or
that one toaster you wanted and now have three of.
And if you’re a soon-to-be university student who is moving
away for the first time – cook books.
And not just any old cook books, but student cook books. Those where the recipes are easy, quick and
most importantly, cheap!
So it was no surprise to me when I received one just before
moving into student halls.
Quickly flicking through the pages, it seemed great! It was full of new ideas that I hadn’t tried
before, as well as my home favourites that I couldn’t wait to replicate. The book was broken down into sections, too,
making it easy to find breakfast items, speedy snacks, scrummy dinners and
delicious desserts.
However, when I started to read some of the new recipes, I
realised that this ‘Student Cookbook’ wasn’t exactly the best fit for students:
lemongrass… vanilla extract… mascarpone cheese… These weren’t your usual uni
fridge necessities. Most of the recipes
required me to spend a small fortune for ingredients required for just one
dish! Destined to rot in the back of the
fridge, unused. And so, from the 100
recipes, I only cooked around a tenth of them in my three years of uni.
One of these recipes soon became a new favourite in the
house, though, and I cooked it on regular occasions: Sesame Hot Noodles. Only requiring one pan, it’s perfect for
anyone without a dishwasher who despises washing up.
At first, I was hesitant to try this recipe due to one
ingredient: peanut butter. Blurgh. I hate the stuff! But, with a chef for an uncle, I’ve always
tried new things and I’m glad I do because this dish is so good! So whether you like peanut butter or not, have
a go and taste for yourself. I promise
it won’t disappoint.
Ingredients:
-
500g fresh egg noodles
-
3 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
-
2 tbsp sesame oil
-
1 garlic clove
-
1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
-
1 small green chilli
-
3 tbsp sesame seeds
-
4 tbsp light soy sauce
-
½ lime (juiced)
-
4 tbsp fresh coriander
-
Pinch of salt and pepper
Coming from a house of meat lovers, I decided to add chicken
to this recipe, too. If you’d like to do
the same, you’ll need about 350g.
Method:
1.
We’re going to start by prepping our
ingredients. In a wok (or under the
grill), toast your sesame seeds on a low-medium heat. Keep a close eye on them as they’ll burn
quickly if left unwatched. Once the
seeds have toasted, pop them into a mixing bowl (or a measuring jug will work just
as well).
2.
Now we’re going to make our sauce. Deseed your chilli and finely chop into teeny
tiny pieces. Do not rub your eyes afterwards like I did. Chilli and eyes do not mix well! I ended taking 5 minutes out in order to
regain my sight.
3.
Peel and crush your garlic clove, and chop the
coriander. Add the chilli and garlic to
the same bowl as your sesame seeds.
We’re not going to add the coriander at this stage as we’ll use that to
season the dish before serving.
4.
To the mixing bowl, add 2 tbsp of the vegetable oil, sesame oil, peanut butter,
soy sauce, lime juice and seasoning. Mix
well until the mixture is smooth, with no lumps of peanut butter. Once ready, put aside for later.
5.
Pre-heat your wok over high heat and pour in the remaining vegetable oil. While the wok is heating, chop your chicken
into chunks before frying until cooked through and golden. Add the egg noodles to the wok and cook for
another two minutes.
6.
Cover the chicken and noodles with the peanut
butter sauce you prepared earlier.
Continue to stir so that all of the chicken and noodles are completely
covered and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
7.
Once everything is hot, separate into bowls, sprinkle
with the coriander and serve immediately.
I really hope you try this dish for yourself and enjoy
cooking it! Don’t forget to send me your
comments and Insta pictures using the hashtag #THEBlog – happy cooking! J
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