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| Recipe of the week... ... Silky cashew nut noodles |
Serves: 2 proper platefuls… and a packed lunch for someone to take
to work!
Time taken: 45 mins max
Hi readers,
How are you all today? You doing good?
As I write, it’s a Tuesday evening in February. The sun’s been out
for most of the day, and I’ve had a good one at work – I got to do some writing
today! I survived a laptop drop this morning (as did my laptop) and the resulting
soup explosion, too. Although it looks as though I’ll be finding dried soup on
the contents of my workbag for quite a while…
But things are good with me. How are things with you lately,
readers? How’s Feb shaping up for you?
In truth, things are very good with me right now. In the spirit of
writing what you feel… things are sparkly and exciting, readers. Yes – I’m
mooning over a boy. It’s been a long time! But here I am, starry eyed. I like a
boy and a boy might like me.
Here’s some food for thought, readers. Is happiness your friend?
I’ve been considering this a lot the last few days. Because – and bear
with me here – I’m wonderfully happy at the moment! Don’t hate me. It feels
like I’ve been given a special jewel, readers, and it’s so hard not to wave
this gem around and shout about it from the roof tops and mould myself around the
jewel, ready to treasure it forever…
BUT. It’s also like I’ve been given a special jewel that I know will likely be taken away again one
day. And I can see friends of mine who’ve just had jewels taken away from them,
and they’re really down about that. So, it’s scary to hold it. And scary to
feel so up up up… when experience tells me that, one day, I’ll be back down
again. As happiness is fleeting.
I know that my friends – however up or down they may be – will always
will be there for me and will likely far outlast the happiness. And that it’s
terrifically unfair for me to have been given a jewel now when friends have had
theirs taken away. And that I should defo keep my jewel on the down low, so it
doesn’t hurt any of my friends’ feelings.
BUT. Even if happiness isn’t here to stay. Even if it might be
snatched away or could fade at any moment – leaving me empty handed and hunched
over, and embarrassed for having worn my jewel on my sleeve for anyone to see – is
that any reason to turn away from it? Is there anything I can do, right now,
other than feel sparkly and excited, and scared shitless at the same time?
I think that, perhaps, happiness isn’t my friend in the long run. Although,
some friendships last the length of a job or a summer or a lottery win – and they’re
spectacular! You wouldn’t trade your true friends for them, but you wouldn’t
want to be without them either.
So, I think that happiness is a fickle friend. But if you know
that, readers. If you keep your real friends in your heart, and make room for your
jewel without poking your friends in the process, then hopefully you’ll never
be down down down. Because your friends are there for you.
What do you think?
Along with that food for thought… I have a
recipe for real food for you, readers! Yay! This recipe is VEGAN, as the boy I’m
mooning over is vegan, and I cooked us this meal for dinner recently in a Date
Night bid to impress. The recipe is a Gousto one, for silky cashew nut noodles, and you can throw these noodle together in just ten
simple steps…
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Recipe: Silky cashew nut
noodles
Ingredients: 80g chestnut mushrooms, 10g coriander, 1 red onion, 1
garlic clove, a large glug of soy sauce, 2 wholewheat noodle nests, 60g cashew
nuts, 1 courgette, 1 carrot, 1 tablespoon honey, ½ teaspoon dried chilli
flakes, vegetable oil, olive oil, salt and pepper
1. Do what you need to do to enjoy your time in
the kitchen – pour a drink, open a window, wipe the surfaces, set some music
playing in the background…
2. Heat a large, dry, frying pan or wok over a
low heat. Add your cashew nuts and cook for a few minutes until they begin to
colour. Then set aside to cool – keep your pan ready for later.
3. Fill a kettle and set it boiling. While the
kettle boils you can begin with veg prep. Top, tail and finely dice the carrot
and courgette, then slice your chestnut mushrooms. Peel and finely slice the
red onion, and peel and finely chop the clove of garlic.
4. Once the kettle’s boiled, add the wholewheat
noodles to a saucepan along with a pinch of salt, and fill with water. Leave to
boil for ten minutes until tender.
5. While your noodles cook, return the wok to a
medium heat with a splash of vegetable oil. Once hot, add the carrot,
courgette, onion and mushroom to the pan, along with half of the chopped garlic
and half a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes.
ChefBeHere Top Tip: Not a fan of food that has you
fanning your mouth?? Ease off the chili flakes, compadre!
6. Season the contents of your wok with a pinch
of salt and pepper, and keep stirring your veg about the pan every now and
then. Cook for 10-15 mins, or until the veg start to caramelise.
7. While your veg and noodles are cooking, grind
¾ of your cooled cashew nuts using a pestle and mortar. Add your remaining
chopped garlic, a tablespoon of honey, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and a large
pinch of salt. Then add 3 tablespoons water from your noodle pan and grind this
all up into a creamy nut butter.
8. Once cooked, drain the noodles and rinse
briefly under a cold tap. Finely chop a handful of coriander and coarsely chop
the remaining cashew nuts.
9. Once the vegetables seem caramelised (use
your best judgement here), then tip the cooked noodles into the wok, along with
the cashew nut butter. Add your chopped coriander and a rather large glug of
soy sauce, then season generously with salt and pepper. Give everything a good
mix together to combine.
10. Plate up your noodles and garnish with the
remaining cashew nuts – then tuck in! Any leftover noodles you can Tupperware
for lunch tomorrow.
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What do you think, readers?? Would you give
this noodle recipe a try? Does it look like your kind of food? Would you have
guessed – looking at the pic – that this meal was a vegan one? Or does it just
look like a tasty plateful of food??
In the words of Gousto…
“This is a dairy-free, wholesome vegetable
noodle dish where you create your own very ‘on trend’ cashew nut butter.
Brimming with vegetables – it feels comforting yet sinless!”
… and I highly recommend! These noodles went
well in the kitchen, readers, I had no trouble with the recipe and I’d say they
turned out well, tasting great. I wasn’t left craving fish or dairy, I was full, and
I enjoyed the food. My date was complimentary of the cooking (I think sincerely!) and he cleared his plate.
So – a success in the kitchen! If you’re
looking for a healthy, great tasting tea to try, and if you’re open minded to
trying vegan food, and if you’re a fan of a noodle dish – then I recommend. Please
let me know, readers, if you give this recipe a go how you get along in the
kitchen. And do you like the noodles?? Feedback, please!
And have a fabulous rest of your week
everyone. Take care, feel sparkly, embrace happiness…
Grind safely,
Hayley
Being the boy who got the chance to try this beautifully cooked vegan dish, I can say, hand on my heart, this was one beautifully cooked and extremely delicious meal. And as far as date nights go, simply perfect.x
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