Stir-fried noodles with cashew nuts

For a couple weeks now I have had an enormous desire to eat oriental food and I especially adore Thai and Vietnamese cuisine, but will be the first to admit I don’t often venture into the kitchen to cook these dishes. The reason behind my it is not lack of will or time it’s more the shopping for the ingredients that puts me off. 

And I am spoiled for Asian shops where I live, plus the prices are super affordable, so what’s the big issue? In recent times I have been trying to avoid going to shops packed full of people, and all the Asian shops are in central Frankfurt, where everyone seems to be, all the time. So when I think of making noodles I also start to think of having to get in the packed Metro then fighting the crowds when I get off on the other side. So I often give up just thinking about it.

The scary thing about all this is that I never used to be like this. Am I getting old? Sometimes I ask myself whether living in a big city and paying ridiculous rent makes me yearn for the comfort and coziness of being home and avoid getting out of the house to face the mad crowds. I tell you, my mum would not recognise her own daughter right now. When I lived with her in Brazil I was never in, always out and about doing something else. Now I even buy my clothes on the internet to avoid the hustle and bustle of the big city.

But now getting back to what we’re here for. Today I was impressed with myself because I took on the city centre and went to the Asian shops. I came back home feeling pretty good and made a simple dish.

Stir-fried noodles with cashew nuts (serves 4)

300g chicken breast

1 egg white

Teriyaki sauce

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp cornflour

1 small onion

1 garlic clove

200g magetout or sugar-snap peas

100g bamboo shoots

2 lemongrass stalks

250g noodles

salt

5 tbsp oil

4 tbsp cashew nuts, toasted 

Method:

1. Dice the chicken breast. Lightly beat the eggs whites, add 2 tbsp of teriaky sauce to taste, honey and cornflour. Use the mixture to marinate the chicken for 30 minutes.

2. Roughly chop the onion and crush the garlic. Wash the mangetout, cut the ends and then half them. Drain the bamboo shoots, wash them well and drain. Cut off the top of the lemongrass, cut them lengthwise and crush the end of the stalk with a knife. That’s where the smell lives.

3. Prepare the noodles according to the package instructions. Then heat the oil in a wok and cook the chicken until golden. Set aside. 

4. Add the onions to the pan and cook until clear, add the lemongrass and garlic and stir, Then add the mangetout and cook for a further 4 minutes. Add to the wok the cooked noodles, the bamboo shoots and cooked chicken. Season with more Teriaky sauce to taste. 

5. Remove the lemongrass from the pan and finally add the cashew nuts when ready to serve.