Sichuan noodles

This vegetarian main dish can be made in about 6 minutes. It's that quick and easy. I made this version with the traditional beansprouts and cucumber, but you could use whatever fresh vegetables you had in the house: thinly sliced mushrooms or bamboo shoots, julienned peppers or daikon, or anything else. Just ensure you cook the vegetables for a short time, so they're still crisp.

Recipe

Fresh egg noodles or quick-cook dried ramen noodles
Cucumber, julienned
Beansprouts
1 tsp oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced chilli or sambal olek
2 tbsp toasted sesame paste (or peanut butter)
1 tbsp soy sauce (preferably low sodium)
1 tbsp rice vinegar (or substitute another light vinegar, such as sherry or white wine)
1/2 tsp sugar

Heat 2 pots over a high heat. Put water on to bowl in one, and heat the oil in the other. While you wait for the water to boil and the oil to heat, julienne your cucumber.

Put the noodles onto boil (they will only take 1 minute for fresh noodles, and 3 minutes for dried).

When the oil is hot, add the garlic, chilli and sesame paste and cook for a few seconds. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and a good splash of water. Cook for about 30 seconds to start to cook out the sesame paste.

At this point, I add the beansprouts and cook for about a minute - traditionally you wouldn't cook the beansprouts, but I like to cook them slightly just for safety. If you're using mushrooms or other vegetables that you want cooked slightly, add them and cook for 1-2 minutes over high heat.

Drain and add the noodles, and stir well to coat in the sauce. Add another splash of water if it's too dry.

Take off the heat and stir in the cucumber, and serve right away.

Serves: 2
Preparation and cooking time: 6 minutes