Fire noodles

Today’s What’s Cookin’, iRunNation? Post was shamelessly stolen from lovingly inspired by Shelby, a fellow runner/foodie whose blog I discovered this winter. Her blog is called “Eat, drink, run” and a typical post will feature musings about running, a few stylish illustrations (done by the author in MS paint) and photos of food and beverages consumed that day. I really enjoy it. A few months ago, she featured a dish called “Fire noodles.”

One thing you’ve got to know about Mr. Shuffler is that he’s crazy about spicy  food. And by crazy, I mean that when we go to an Indian restaurant, he’s going to order the dish with greatest number of “warning” chili peppers. Ditto Thai restaurants. (I can almost see the waiters reach for the informed consent forms). He’s got an entire shelf full of hot sauces in our pantry. The only time I’ve seen this insane tendency come back to bite him was the first time we went to Mexico. At lunch one day, he expressed some disappointment to the waiter about the heat of the salsa that came with his meal. The waiter offered to go back to the kitchen and get the special Mexican salsa that the staff ate. You can probably guess how this ended (me eating room service alone while he groaned on the bed).

Anyway, a dish called “fire noodles” was bound to catch his interest. It’s actually not extremely hot but it does warm you up. Perfect for cold, drizzly weather (a.k.a. the new “normal” in Ottawa). It also allows for almost infinite variation in terms of the protein and vegetables you throw in so feel free to clean out your vegetable crisper. In this version, Mr. Shuffler used shrimp and tofu and left out the basil (we were probably out).

Ingredients

• 1 package Asian instant soup noodles (ramen, udon, etc)
• 1/2 lb shrimp, chicken or tofu
• 1 large red pepper, cut in to large matchsticks
• 2 carrots, cut in to large matchsticks
• 2 TBSP peanut or vegetable oil
• 1 TBSP fish sauce
• 1.5 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 TSP Srirachi sauce (for medium-hot heat; use more or less depending on desired spiciness)
• 2 TBSP brown sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 handul fresh basil, loosely torn
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to package instructions.  Drain, rise with cold water, and set aside. (Discard seasoning packet or save for future use.)
2. Heat 1 TBSP oil over medium heat in a large skillet or wok.  Add shrimp/chicken/tofu and cook until almost cooked through.  Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside.
3. Add peppers and carrots to the wok.  Cook until just tender, 3-4 minutes.
4. Add fish sauce to wok and toss with veggies until sweet and fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Reduce heat to low.  Add soy sauce and sriracha sauce to wok and stir to combine.  Add brown sugar and stir until incorporated.  Add shrimp/chicken/tofu and noodles to skillet and toss to coat evenly with sauce.
6. In a seperate small skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat.  Pour in egg and cook in to an omelette, flipping once.  When cooked through, transfer to a cutting board to cool.  When cooled, slice in to 1″ squares/cubes.
7. Check to see that contents of wok are evenly coated and heated through.  Remove from heat and add egg, basil and green onion.  Toss thoroughly and serve immediately.

Servings: 2

Preparation Time: 20 min

**Ever wanted to have your own food blog but feel like you don’t have the time to update a few times a week? Why not join the iRun blogging collective that is What’s Cookin’, iRunNation? All the fun and fulfillment of having your own food blog without all the hassle. All you need to do is send your favourite recipe to webeditor@irun.ca.**