comfort food

I have another confession to make---The Happy Recessionist is a noodle-holic. I simply could eat noodles every day. At least once. Skinny, fat, round, flat---I do not discriminate; I love them all.

After last week's fairly involved staycation meal, I thought this week we would make something that could be prepared in thirty minutes, and if the recipe just also happened to feature one of my favorite foods, all the better. :-) Here's the ingredient list:

Noodles, whichever you fancy and have on hand
Oil (I used olive), 2 T
Garlic, 3 cloves
Fresh ginger, about 1-inch piece
Soy sauce
Hot chili sauce (I used Sriracha sauce)
Carrots
Red pepper
Edamame (frozen is ok)
Chicken/faux chicken, 1-inch cubes (I used Quorn chicken-like pieces)
Fresh cilantro, as much as you like :-)

While the water for the noodles boils, I finely chop the garlic and ginger and then whisk together with the oil, soy sauce, and chili sauce. Use whatever proportions you are most comfortable with---I tend to use less soy/more chili sauce because that's what we prefer. Then I chop the carrots, red pepper, and cilantro.

I heat the wok (or deep saute pan will work) until medium hot, then add the sauce mixture and meat/faux meat first. Once that's cooking nicely, I add the edamame; keep stirring and tossing. Next, I add the carrots and peppers. If the pan seems a little dry, rather than adding more oil, I will add a little water and then cover to steam for several minutes.

The noodles I use cook rather quickly, in just a couple minutes, so I add them to the water now. If you are using longer-cooking noodles, though, you'll need to keep this in mind and add to the boiling water earlier in the process. When the noodles are ready, drain, and then add to the wok/pan for just a minute or two, mixing in with the rest of the now-cooked ingredients. Lastly, stir in the fresh cilantro, and serve!