Kordalis - Pimp my noodles: turn instant noodles & ramen into fabulous feasts!

Contents Welcome to the world of noodles! Noodles are endlessly versatile, so quick and easyto prepare. All you need to do is add some protein and vegetables for a completeand nutritious meal. Opt for cheap and cheerful for easy mid-week suppers, or moreelegant dishes to feed a crowd; wow your friends with authentic flavour combinationsor plan meals in advance to save time. Reinvent and update existing recipes witha few pimping tips and make the most out of your well-chosen essential ingredients.For optional extras, refer to the ; these are just a fewfridge, freezer and cupboard essentials that you can use every day to jazz up yourdishes. Find different ways to cook eggs in the Pimping chapter; recipes to Energise youfor busy weeks; meals to help you Restore & Recover from the morning after thenight before; Party dishes for entertaining or to feed a crowd; Cold Noodle Platesfor quick and easy lunches; and Survival dishes for mid-week meals. In Asia, noodles can be found in dishes everywhere from street food vendors tothe tables of celebration feasts.In Asia, noodles can be found in dishes everywhere from street food vendors tothe tables of celebration feasts.

Noodle dishes symbolic of happiness, health,friendship, and commitment are important at nearly every meal. Although they aregenerally associated with Asian cuisine, they also fare well with more continentalflavours. What we know as pasta today was, in fact, introduced to Italy after MarcoPolo travelled to China. There are many types of noodles to choose from, but belowis a good selection that are readily available in most supermarkets:

These are dried, pre-cooked noodle blocks that come with a flavoured powder suchas chicken or vegetable. They are either cooked or soaked in boiling water beforeeating, and are quick and easy to prepare a perfect one-pot meal. These are made from ground rice and water and come in many widths, ranging from vermicellito flat ribbon noodles.

They are best served once soaked or boiled in water and area great vehicle for sauces.

These noodles, also known as glass noodles, are a type of transparent noodle madefrom starch and are most commonly sold as very fine strands in bundles. The starchcan come from sweet potato or mung beans. All these need is a good soak in boilingwater. They work very well in salads. These are egg-enriched wheat noodles and are commonly used in Chinese cuisine.

Theycome in a variety of thicknesses and need to be cooked in boiling water until softbefore use. They are a little more robust than other noodles so are great in a stir-fry.

Udon noodles are the thickest type of Japanese noodle, made from wheat flour, saltand water. These noodles are most commonly served in a broth, usually flavoured withmirin and soy sauce. These are used in Japanese cuisine and are made with egg, flour and salt. There aremany varieties of ramen noodle, from wavy to straight, thin to thick, and just asmany variations of broth.

They are very versatile and can be used in soups and stir-fries.In fact, I have used them in this book to make !

Soba noodles hail from Japan. Made from buckwheat flour, they have a nutty flavourand a slightly chewy texture and are great in salads. Courgetti or courgette (zucchini) noodles are thin strands of spiralized courgette.You can also spiralize butternut squash (pumpkin), beetroot (beet), sweet potatoand many more vegetables. These are best served raw or flash cooked as a substituteor addition to ordinary noodles. Spices, sauces, pastes, oils, vinegars and powdered stock are just a few essentialsthat help to build flavour and pimp your dishes. Frozen mixed vegetables: such as green beans, cauliflower, carrots and peas. Frozen mixed vegetables: such as green beans, cauliflower, carrots and peas.

A perfectway to add a quick nutritious boost to your mid-week meal. Frozen berries: these are a brilliant way to make a quick dessert. Frozen herbs: great to have when you cant make it to the shops or the months arentsunny enough to maintain your own herb garden. Frozen natural flavourings: such as garlic, ginger and chopped onions. Frozen lemon and lime juice: in ice cube trays. Frozen grated cheese: a brilliant time saver. Frozen butter: in portions ready to be added to sauces.

Your freezer is your friend. Your freezer is your friend.

Follow these simple tips to get the most out of it. Cool foods before you freeze them. Wrap foods properly or put them in sealed containers, otherwise your food can getfreezer burn. If in doubt, throw it out. If you are unsure how long something has been frozen,dont take any chances.

You can use any of the following fridge staples to whip up a great pimped noodledish: bacon butter coriander (cilantro) crme frache eggs grated Cheddar ham limes and lemons mayonnaise Parmesan parsley rocket (arugula) or spinach rosemary thyme tofu You can pimp your noodles by using condiments; add peanut butter or Nutella, somevegetables, protein or tofu, quick broths and best of all, eggs! If youre feelinglazy, topping your noodles with a fried or poached egg is an easy, instant way toshake things up. Similarly, you could boil and chop an egg and scatter over yournoodles for something a little different.A deliciously indulgent addition to your noodles. In a frying pan over a medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Crack the eggsinto the pan. When theyre ready, remove the pan from the heat and use a spatulato take the eggs out. Delicious on top of noodles.