Soft Noodles

Good food is usually the cheapest of foods. The problem is that these items have, over the years, been renamed and repackaged by clever chefs and then sold to an unsuspecting public at inflated prices.

This blog is about cheap food, and food from China doesn't come much cheaper. I have always liked noodle dishes, probably because I was brought up eating spaghetti. We all know the myth that Marco Polo (whose name always reminds me of a hairdressers for some reason) brought pasta to the Italians from China. Well, it may have arrived in Italy from the east but it had nothing to do with old Marco.

One of my granddaughter's favourite dishes is 'Soft Noodles'. If let to her own devices, she would happily live off this dish. This recepe was given to me by an old Chinese lady back in the 'seventies who was a friend of a family that I was staying with at the time.

A single portion of fine egg noodles

1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce

3 teaspoons of light soy sauce

Half a small onion, finely sliced

1 clove of crushed garlic.

Teaspoon of ground nut oil

Fill a small pan with hot water, bring to the boil, and put in the dried egg noodles. Boil for 2- 3 minutes, then take them out and drain.

Heat a wok and put in the oil; when the oil starts to smoke, add onions and garlic. Cook for a minute or so, taking care not to burn the onion, then add the noodles.

Put in both the dark and light soy sauces and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring all the time.

That's it! So simple, but so tasty and cheap. You can add veg or meat if you wish to make a more substantial meal. Use any cooked left overs you have to add to the dish - anything works well with these noodles.

Buon Appito!