So I haven’t written to you here in a while, and I’m sorry for that. Things have been pretty hectic, but I guess that’s just how life is sometimes, right?
One thing I admire about you is how you manage to effortlessly transition from one thing to another without the stress visibly carrying over. Like one minute you’re busy waking up at 6am to study Japanese, write work docs and crush meetings, and then the very same evening you can move on to something relaxing and enjoyable and still be full of light and happiness.
It isn’t this way for all of us. Some of us find transitioning between stuff difficult, and we carry over stress from one situation to the next. So a long, stressful day at work inevitably results in a quickly and shabbily concocted dinner, even if there is the time to relax and make it properly.
That’s why I have some recipes I can do quickly and almost on autopilot with minimal fuss, so when I’m feeling stressed or tired, I can make something quick, healthy and delicious knowing that my rubbish mood doesn’t carry over into making a rubbish dinner.
So here’s something to make sure that even if you’re in a bad moodz you don’t have to eat bad noodz.
A&A’s Cold Noodz
Makes enough for a two people.
SHOPPING LIST
Must haves
1. Noodles (preferably the Taiwanese “knife cut” variety”)
2. Half a courgette (zucchini)
3. One spring onion (scallion)
4. A good handful of sugar snap peas (sometimes called “snow peas”)
5. 10-12 sweet cherry tomatoes
6. Good quality soy sauce
7. Mirin
8. Sesame oil
9. A dollop of your favourite chilli paste (smokey ones, like Guilin Chilli Sauce or even a chipotle paste work well)
Optional
1. Half an avocado (use if you want the noodles to have extra body and the sauce to be creamy)
HOW TO MAKE
1. Boil the noodles according to packet instructions, then wash under a cold tap until cooled completely. Let the water drain out as much as possible.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and add the noodles once cold, stirring to coat and to stop them sticking together.
3. Chop the courgette, snap peas in a fine julienne, so they are as thin as possible and each slice is a little shorter than your little finger (you have long little fingers).
4. Chop the spring onion into fine rounds.
5. Chop the cherry tomatoes into quarters.
6. If using, mash the avocado.
7. Add all the vegetables to the mixing bowl and mix well.
8. To the mixing bowl add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, a dollop of your chosen chilli paste (add less if it is a really hot paste) and half a tablespoon of mirin.
9. Mix everything well to coat all the ingredients and ensure the chilli paste is evenly distributed. Taste and adjust for more of any of the seasonings (oil, soy, chilli, mirin), if needed. Sometimes a grind of normal salt here is good. The sauce should coat the noodz and make them tasty but not too wet.
10. Serve and eat immediately!