Top Noodles

This is a really quick and tasty recipe! It is easily adapted to use seasonal ingredients and you can add lots of your favourite vegetables. Top Noodles are great to take on a picnic or to work.

Ingredients

1 nest thin OR medium egg noodles
2 spring onions
½ small red pepper (seeds removed)
½ pak choi OR 1 green cabbage leaf OR Chinese leaves
3 OR 4 baby sweetcorn
2 x 15ml spoons frozen peas
Black pepper (optional)
4 sprigs fresh coriander
1 quantity dressing (see below)
150–200ml boiling water
Dressing
½ clove garlic
¼ red chilli
½ lime
2 x 5ml spoons soy sauce
1cm piece root ginger
2 x 5ml spoons sweet chilli sauce

Equipment

Deep plastic pot with a secure lid or plastic
Kilner type jar (approx. 700ml capacity)
Colander
Chopping board
Vegetable knife
Small bowl
Measuring spoons
Grater
Teaspoon
Juicer
Kettle
Fork

Instructions

1. Place the noodles into the bottom of the pot or jar, breaking them slightly so they fit.
2. Wash the vegetables.
3. Top and tail the spring onions, leaving on the green leaves. Slice into 3cm x ½cm lengths.
4. Finely slice the red pepper and pak choi or cabbage.
5. Cut the baby sweetcorn in half across, then into 4 lengthways.
6. Defrost the peas in a bowl of hot water and drain using a colander.
7. Add the chopped vegetables and peas to the pot.
8. Finely chop the coriander.

The dressing

1. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Finely chop the chilli and then wash your hands.
2. Peel the ginger and finely grate.
3. Mix the garlic, chilli and ginger in a small bowl.
4. Add the lime juice, the soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce and mix together.
5. Pour the dressing into the noodle pot, add black pepper to taste (if using), close the lid and refrigerate until ready to eat.

To serve

1. When you are ready to eat your Top Noodles pot, simply add about 150–200ml of boiling water just covering the noodles and press everything down with a fork.
2. Close the lid and leave for 8–10 minutes, stirring with a fork once or twice.
3. Stir in the coriander before eating.

Skills used include:
Washing, weighing, measuring, peeling, chopping, mixing/combining and boiling.

Top Tips

• Try using the back of a teaspoon to peel off the root ginger skin.
• Chop the vegetables finely so they soften when the boiling water is added.
• If you are taking Top Noodles pots on a picnic, take the boiling water in a thermos flask.

Something to try next time

• Try substituting some of the vegetables or adding extra vegetables. For example, a small, finely chopped courgette or carrot cut into matchsticksized pieces, 4 mangetout cut in half or finely chopped different coloured peppers.
• Swap the coriander for 8 basil leaves and the leaves from 1 sprig of thyme.

Prepare now, eat later

• Top Noodles can be prepared in advance and refrigerated for 24 hours. When ready to eat, simply add the boiling water. If you are preparing Top Noodles for later, there is no need to defrost the peas before adding.