Lunchtime Noodles: A Non-Recipe Recipe
Sometimes when I feel like eating something easy and delicious but I really don’t feel like getting all worked up about following a specific recipe, I turn to a super easy and quick meal like my Lunchtime Noodles. I came up with this because I’m usually running from place to place during the day and found myself snacking on all sorts of crappy, processed foods. When I have 15-20 minutes, I can make and eat this and be back on the road, belly full and ready to take on what’s next.
My Lunchtime Noodles may seem straightforward and boring, but truth be told, cooking like this opens the doors to a world of endless possibilities. Whenever I make my noodles, I try and balance out the flavors so I always add something salty, something slightly sweet and something with heat. Below you’ll find a quick guide to how I make my sauces, but you can certainly put your own twist on this in any way!
I start with getting some water boiled and quickly cooking Chinese or Korean noodles that only take about 2-3 minutes to cook. While I wait for the water to boil, I mix together the sauce right in the bowl I’m going to eat the noodles from. I start with a base of soy sauce and peanut butter because that’s my favorite - then I add in the seasonings: I love to use curry powder for warmth and Sriracha for spice. Of course you can swap those for anything you’d like. To balance out those flavors I add a touch of honey or sugar, a bit of kosher salt, and a hit of black pepper. I grate in a clove of garlic and some fresh ginger, and viola! Once the noodles are cooked, I toss them with the sauce, eat in about two minutes and hit the road.
Here’s a list of my favorite lunchtime noodle combos:
Garlic Butter Noodles:
Unsalted butter
Grated garlic
Soy Sauce
Sesame Oil
Salt and Pepper
Five-Spice Noodles:
Soy Sauce
Peanut butter
Chinese Five Spice
Sriracha
Sugar
Salt and Pepper
Miso Noodles:
White miso paste
Unsalted butter
Soy Sauce
Grated garlic
Salt and Pepper
If you have extra time and want to impress your friends, try my Spicy Dan Dan Noodles!