#Thai Lao Japanese Chinese Chufang

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Pak Choi Noodles (Vegan)

These simple Pak Choi Noddles make an easy, yet flavourful and hearty dinner. Happy Thursday!

Ingredients (serves 2):

200 grams/7 ounces egg noodles

4 cups boiling water

1 ½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger

a large garlic clove, minced

half a red chili pepper

a large, beautiful pak choi (or 2 smaller ones)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce

Place egg noodles in a medium bowl. Cover with boiling water, and place a lid on top. Allow noddles to cook, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large wok, heat toasted sesame oil over medium-high heat.

Peel ginger, and cut it into very thin slices. Add to the wok, and fry, a couple of minutes. Add garlic, and cook, 1 minute more. 

Thinly slice red chili pepper, and stir into the wok. Cook, a couple of minutes.

Thoroughly rinse pak choi under cold water.

Cut off and discard the bottom of the pak choi, and cut off the leaves, reserving for later. Chop white part of the pak choi, and stir into the wok. Cook, coating in oil and spices, about 5 minutes.

Deglaze with  rice vinegar, soy sauce and sweet soy sauce.

Drain cooked egg noodles, and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

Stir half of the reserved pak choi leaves into the wok, and cook until just wilted. Then, stir in drained egg noodles, and remaining pak choi leaves, coating well in the sauce.

Serve Pak Choi Noodles hot.

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Spring Green Noodles (Vegetarian)

Combining the year's first harvest of Snow Peas with frozen vegetables makes these Spring Green Noodles particularly appealing and tasty --and covers at least three of your five-a-day in the process! A bright, simple and falvourful lunch, perfect for a weekday! Happy Thursday!

Ingredients (serves 1):

80 grams/2.85 ounces udon noodles

1 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1/2 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger

a small Green Onion

1/3 cup frozen green peas

1/3 cup frozen broccoli fleurets

a dozen Garden Snow Peas 

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tablespoon Hot Pepper Sauce 

2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce

a small bunch Garden Chives 

In a small pot of salted boiling water, cook udon noddles until soft and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Immediately drain and rinse well under cold water, to remove the starch. Then, place in a bowl of cold water; set aside.

Heat a large wok over a high flame. Once hot, add toasted sesame oil.

Peel and grate ginger, and add to the hot oil. Fry, 1 minute.

Thinly slice Green Onion, and add chopped white part of the Green Onion (saving green part for topping) to the wok. Cook, 1 minute more.

Stir in frozen peas and broccoli fleurets, and cook until softened, a few minutes.

Then, stir in Snow Peas, shaking the wok to coat in oil and ginger. Cook, a couple of minutes until softened.

Stir in garlic, and cook, another minute.

Then, deglaze with Hot Pepper Sauce and sweet soy sauce.

Drain udon noodles, and stir them into the wok, coating well in sauce and vegetables.

Finely chop Chives, and stir into the wok.

Enjoy Spring Green Noodles hot, sprinkled with reserved chopped green part of the Green Onion.