I’ve never been a big fan of sandwiches; all bread and no substance. So, this Do It Yourself Noodle Pot floats my boat entirely. It is also full of ‘bitter greens’. These are an array of plant compounds which stimulate digestion therefore fabulous for anyone with digestive issues. These greens include rocket, watercress, endive and radicchio some of which are regularly stocked at your local greengrocers or Farmer’s market and can be found in their wholly natural state; unwrapped in plastic. This easy lunch has the benefit of avoiding the requirement of plastic wrapping in general; Tupperware boxes and clingfilm are replaced by a brilliantly re-useable jar. So, rest assured that your lunch is both plant-based, healthy and more eco-friendly than a shop bought sandwich.
You will need a 500 ml Kilner jar or other similar sized glass jar with secure fitting lid
· 40g nest dried vermicelli rice noodles, broken in half OR use 1 pack of straight to the wok egg noodles
· 1 clove finely sliced garlic
· 1 spring onion, finely sliced
· 1 tsp Sesame oil
· ½ teaspoon fish sauce*
· ½ -1 red chilli (judge by own tolerance), finely sliced
· 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
· ¼ small courgette, diced
· 1 small carrot, sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
· 1 tablespoon frozen petit pois, defrosted
· 25g watercress leaves, roughly chopped
· 20g radicchio or spinach
· ½ lime juiced
· Grind of black pepper and a one of pink Himalayan sea-salt (or other salt is fine)
· 1 teaspoon of chilli oil
· ½ teaspoon honey
· Sprinkle of sesame seeds
*works well without this for vegetarians
How to:
Method
It’s important to use a large heatproof jar with a well-fitting lid if you are taking this to work/school. Put the noodles in the bottom of the jar, then add all the other ingredients except the lime. Pour over enough boiling water to just cover the ingredients – about 300ml. Cover with a lid, leave to soak for 10 mins, then stir in the lime zest, juice and some seasoning and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
The ingredients travel well but be sure to add the water only ten minutes before eating. The pot noodle is equally as tasty eaten after immediately. Be sure to stir well before eating, combining the ingredients right from the bottom of the jar. Play around with the addition of different seasonal vegetables as there are so many taste combinations. For extra protein a boiled egg sliced on top is delicious and boosts that feeling of fullness