Hoisin-tahini pork noodles: Chop, cook and chow down

Today was a day for a quick, make it up on the go, sort of recipe. I had some minced pork and cabbage to eat- but no real clue what to put it with until I started cooking. Starving from a run, this was a quick off the cuff meal which is perfect to make with the things lurking in your fridge. 

Noodles seem to be engrained into my weekly staple repertoire - at least twice a week I need to fulfil my noodle crazy craving (much to my boyfriend's dismay).  One of my earliest memories of food is with my brother, secretly sitting under the kitchen table stuffing our mouths with as many noodles as possible. Ultimately, our giggles and mouths jammed packed with noodles led to a mess on the floor...but it did mean my relationship with noodles started off pretty positive afrom what I can remember. 

 

When my friend Jen told me she's working in a noodle/ramen cafe out in LA I COULDNT CONTAIN MYSELF. Jealousy swept over, an unlimited presence of noodles four times a week? Heaven. And although this recipe most probably isn't on any level of noodle greatness..it's an easy one to chop, cook and chow down. Hoisin and tahini is a great sweet and nutty combination, with a nice crunch of cabbage and edamame (I managed to dig out from the freezer). It barely takes ten minutes to cook, so you just got to try this one! 

Ingredients (serves two) 

1/4 white cabbage (more if you want)

2 nests of dry medium sized egg noodles 

1/2 spring onion 

200g minced pork 

1 tbs light soy sauce 

1 tbs dark soy sauce

1 tsp ginger, minced/chopped finely

3 tbs hoisin sauce

1 1/2 tbs tahini (or peanut butter if you don't have this) 

Two handfuls of frozen edamame beans

Boil up some water for the noodles. Cook as per the instructions and set aside. Keep half a mug of the water for later. 

Whilst the noodles are boiling, chop up your cabbage, ginger and spring onions.   Heat a wok with a tbs of oil. When the wok is hot, chuck your cabbage and pork and cook for three minutes, constantly stirring. Add the two soy sauces, ginger and spring onion and lower the heat to medium. 

Add the noodles and mix in with the mince and veg and stir constantly. Add the hoisin, tahini and half cup of water to the wok and cook up until the noodles are all evenly coated. 

If you're feeling fancy, top with some sesame seeds or spring onions. But, it's not much of a fancy recipe to be fair. If you're going to do anything with this recipe, I would just double the quantity.