Lunch is often a haphazard affair — attempts to coax the neglected bits and bobs lurking in our fridge into a cohesive meal. Occasionally, these attempts are actually successful. Today I had a success, so I decided to record it here.
Of course, you can use any noodles (cooked) in place of the shirataki, but I think that even aside from the supposed health benefits, I like these noodles because of their convenience: they don’t require cooking, and they hold up remarkably in a stirfry. No need to worry about them turning to mush or becoming over-cooked.
I have a soft spot for broccoli stems because they are often cruelly composted after having been separated from their more desirable floret counterparts. But they are so delicious, especially after a short stint in a hot pan.
Finally, I was so relieved to be rid of the three-month-old century egg hanging out in my fridge (we bought a six-pack to make century egg porridge). It turned out to be a delicious, creamy counterpart to the rest of the dish. You could really throw in any leftover protein here, though.
Ingredients
- 1 crown broccoli; stem part, thinly sliced
- 1 scallion, chopped; white and green part separate
- 8oz package tofu shirataki angel hair spaghetti
- 1 tsp chilli bean paste (豆板醤; doubanjiang)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 century egg (皮蛋; pídàn), chopped into small pieces
Method
- Stir-fry broccoli stems and white part of scallions on medium-high heat until golden brown; turn heat to low
- Drain shirataki noodles and add to pan
- Add seasoning (chilli bean paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil), and toss to combine
- Add chopped egg and green part of scallion
- Serve with chilli oil!