Sometimes I have this craving to eat some spicy noodles. But I don’t want to just load up on simple carbs! So I just throw in whatever veggies and protein I have in the refrigerator and freezer to make it a complete meal. That makes it very filling also and well balanced. I try to keep a well stocked pantry so I’ll always have some noodles or pasta, all the sauces and seasonings one can think of 🙂
These spicy noodles can be as elaborate as you want or as quick and simple as you have time for. These are perfect for the days when you’re exhausted after work and just want a quick meal. It is a great recipe for the students living in a dorm with limited resources and budgets. The key is to have a few staple items in your pantry, rest you can go with the flow of whatever is in your refrigerator:) Depending upon the kind of protein you have, it can be even vegan or vegetarian.
Today the version I am making is a large quantity, enough for 6-7 people or a great dish for meal prep. If you are making for 2-3 people then you can half the quantity of ingredients. It has a little bit of leftover Tofu that I already had, a bag of coleslaw, an emergency bag of frozen sliced vegetable (it’s good to always have one in the freezer) and a box of spaghetti. If using fresh vegetables, then onions, cabbage, bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli go very well. The sauces and seasonings I will be using are fairly common and available in all grocery stores. Instead of Tofu if you have any leftover or store bought cooked chicken or cooked ground turkey, that would work too. You can even add a scrambled egg!
It is a great way to use up your leftover veggies and any cooked meat or tofu etc. I also like to add a tiny bit of ginger and garlic in the beginning as I feel that they add so much to the aroma and flavor. They just enhance the dish! So like any Indian who cooks, there will always be fresh ginger and garlic at home or at the very least, in a jar or frozen cubes. My kids say “mom you’re too extra” as I simply love to use fresh ginger and garlic. It is a tiny bit time consuming but hey, well worth the taste. But I am totally fine to use the bottle or frozen version and have used them also when in a pinch.
Ingredients:
- Spaghetti or Lo-mein — 1 box (1 lb)
- Extra Firm Tofu — 1/4 box (leftovers which were sautĂ©ed earlier for another dish)
- Sliced vegetables — 1 frozen bag OR freshly sliced vegetables (12-16 oz)
- Bag of Coleslaw (1 lb) or Shredded cabbage — 2-3 cups
- (Optional) Ginger — 1/2-1 tsp grated or paste
- (Optional) Garlic — 1/2-1 tsp grated or paste
- (Optional for garnish) Green onion — 1, chopped
- (Optional) Any stir fry sauce or Hoisin sauce — 1 Tbs
- Sriracha Sauce — 2 Tbs
- Soy sauce — 4 Tbs
- Spicy Chili crisp — 2 Tbs
- Salt — according to taste
- Black pepper — according to taste
- Avocado oil
Directions:
- Set up a pot of water with some salt to boil for the noodles.
- Heat a wok or any wide bottom pan. Add about 1 -2 tsp of oil when the pan is medium hot.
- Then add the ginger and garlic. Sauté for a few seconds till you can smell the aroma.
- Add the onions, carrot, bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms etc. Or you can just dump the bag of frozen veggies in the pan. Add salt and black pepper according to your taste. Sauté for 4-5 minutes till veggies are not raw but not wilted either. You can cover it for a minute or so.
- Then add the bag of coleslaw or shredded cabbage. Sauté for another 1-2 minutes and cover for a minute. Now I like a a lot of cabbage in my noodles, feel free to add less.
- Then add the noodles.
- After that add the soy sauce, sriracha, spicy chili crisp and if you have the stir fry/hoisin sauce. Now add the sautéed tofu or cooked chicken. Mix it up well.
- Add 1-2 Tbs of water to help the sauces mix well. Taste for the seasonings.
- Garnish with finely chopped green onions and Enjoy!
QUICK SPICY NOODLES
Ingredients:
- Spaghetti or Lo-mein — 1 box (1 lb)
- Extra Firm Tofu — 1/4 box (leftovers which were sautĂ©ed earlier for another dish)
- Sliced vegetables — 1 frozen bag OR freshly sliced vegetables (12-16 oz)
- Bag of Coleslaw (1 lb) or Shredded cabbage — 2-3 cups
- (Optional) Ginger — 1/2-1 tsp grated or paste
- (Optional) Garlic — 1/2-1 tsp grated or paste
- (Optional for garnish) Green onion — 1, chopped
- (Optional) Any stir fry sauce or Hoisin sauce — 1 Tbs
- Chili paste — 2 Tbs
- Soy sauce — 4 Tbs
- Sriracha Sauce — 2 Tbs
- Salt — according to taste
- Black pepper — according to taste
- Avocado oil
Directions:
- Set up a pot of water with some salt to boil for the noodles.
- Heat a wok or any wide bottom pan. Add about 1 -2 tsp of oil when the pan is medium hot.
- Then add the ginger and garlic. Sauté for a few seconds till you can smell the aroma.
- Add the onions, carrot, bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms etc. Or you can just dump the bag of frozen veggies in the pan. Add salt and black pepper according to your taste. Sauté for 4-5 minutes till veggies are not raw but not wilted either. You can cover it for a minute or so.
- Then add the bag of coleslaw or shredded cabbage. Sauté for another 1-2 minutes and cover for a minute. Now I like a a lot of cabbage in my noodles, feel free to add less.
- Then add the noodles.
- After that add the soy sauce, sriracha, chili paste and if you have the stir fry/hoisin sauce. Now add the sautéed tofu or cooked chicken. Mix it up well.
- Add 1-2 Tbs of water to help the sauces mix well. Taste for the seasonings.
- Garnish with finely chopped green onions and Enjoy!
Healthy Eats For All 