Spicy Sichaun Noodles 四川麻辣面

Out of all the many wonders I found on Chinese menu's when I lived there for a wee spell, it was the humble noodle that got me hooked and what I dream about the most.  If I was to ever venture back it would be under the guise of visiting friends, but the real truth of it would be rather more glutinous than that!

And while I bide my time before that day, when I can once again stuff my chops with bowl after bowl of noodles, I have managed to make at least one of my favourites and thought I'd be so kind to share!

Spicy Sichuan Noodles   四川麻辣面


Ingredients:

1 packet of noodles
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
1 nob ginger, chopped finely
2 spring onions, chopped
1 tbs Yeo's Hot Bean Sauce
1 tbs Lee Kum Kee Chilli Garlic Sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
½ cup water
1 tbs crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp sugar
salt to taste
sesame oil
Sichuan Peppercorn oil
fresh coriander to garnish
Crushed roasted peanuts to garnish


Method:

Cook noodles according to packet instructions and set aside.

In a pan add a good dash of sesame oil and regular oil and fry the garlic, ginger and white parts of the spring onions (leaving the green for garnish).

Add the hot bean sauce and chili garlic sauce and fry until fragrant.

Add the water and soy sauce and bring to the boil.

Add in the peanut butter, sugar and salt and mix.

Put the noodles in a bowl and pour the sauce over top.  Sprinkle with good dashes or sesame and peppercorn oil and top with spring onions, coriander and peanuts before serving.

Delphi, Wonderful Delphi

Salads are not exciting.  In fact they can be the cause of much disappointment for a vegan and have proven so for me on many occasions - it's not fun munching on lettuce when everyone else is tucking into something that will actually fill them up.  Homer Simpson was right, you don't make friends with salad.

Or so that's what I thought, until I myself recently became rather good friends with an unlikely little salad bowl - well no, friends is a lie - a one-sided infatuation probably better describes it!

Delphi is the fabulous brand I speak of and their range are easy to find in many health food stores across Ireland.  They do a great array of salads, but my absolute favourite, and the cause for all of this fuss, is their couscous number.  Super tasty, always fresh and so filling for a salad, it slips right in your bag and has saved me many a time where the only thing remotely vegan about was a field of grass.

And it doesn't stop at salads.  They also sport what I think is the best range of hummus on the market in Ireland, as well as several dips and a tasty variety of tapas.  While a few of their products contain feta cheese, the majority are vegan and everything is clearly labelled.

And just to top it off, all of their products are extremely reasonable - far cheaper than similar products you can find in Tesco (not that I shop there....ahem...) and as I may have mentioned once or twice already, far superior in flavour and freshness.  And with all that, I think it is safe to say, this little love affair is not going to end anytime soon!