Chilli Crab Noodles

These Chilli Crab Noodles are utterly delicious, really quick and easy to make and pack a fiery chilli punch.

I have recently started Slimming World, and in case anyone else follows that diet, the entire dish is only 2.5 syns for the sesame oil and Sriracha making it less than 1.5 syns per serving. 

I really like the heat of x2 red chillies, but if heat isn't your thing reduce to one, or take out entirely. I also add fresh coriander which I adore, right at the end, but if you're not keen on the flavour of coriander you could try mint or basil instead.

The below serves two. 

Chilli Crab Noodles

Here's how:

• 200g white crab meat (fresh or tinned is fine)
• 1 garlic clove
• 3cm piece of fresh ginger
• 2 red chillies
• 4 spring onions
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sriracha
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• Tenderstem broccoli 
• Handful coriander
• 90g cooked vermicelli rice noodles

Firstly add the tsp of sesame oil to a wok and pop on a low heat.

Slice the spring onions, red chillies, garlic and ginger and add to the wok to slowly soften and flavour the oil.

Once the base is all cooked down, add the rice noodles, the soy sauce, fish sauce and sriracha and use a spatula or wooden spoon to move it all around and ensure the noodles take on all of that flavour. 

While the noodles are heating through (they just need a minute), roughly chop the coriander leaves and set aside. 

Now add the crab meat to the wok and again, move it all around and mix it into the noodle and vegetable mixture until it's heated through; 1-2 minutes is plenty. 

Remove from the heat, squeeze over the lime juice, which will add a lovely freshness and add most of the coriander and mix again before dividing between two plates. 

Now return the wok to the heat, and add the tenderstem broccoli; this will cook in just a couple of minutes on a high heat. 

Serve with the Chilli Crab Noodles and scatter over any remaining coriander leaves as a garnish.

Chicken Satay Noodle Salad

Last night's dinner was a bit of a fridge forage, and a quick Google gave me some inspiration from this Satay Chicken Noodle Salad on Olive magazine for which this is absolutely the basis. I adapted it to fit what I had available but I also really pimped up the satay dressing, as I found the recipe made for a thick and stodgy sauce, and I wanted something thinner to dress the salad and to also coat the chicken with a delicious satay flavour.

As the original includes but I sadly didn't have, red cabbage is a great ingredient here, as would be shredded white cabbage, cucumber, any other colour peppers, bean shoots and indeed some crunchy salad leaves. You really can just use what you have in stock. The original recipe calls for just mint leaves, but I advise adding coriander here too, basil or Thai basil would be great.

This was a grown-up only dinner and the below really serves three portions (Glen's lunch today is sorted). 

Chicken Satay Noodle Salad

Here's how:

• x2 large chicken thighs
• Drizzle sesame oil
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper

For the salad:

• x2 large carrots
• 4 large radish
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 red onion
• 2 spring onions
• Handful fresh mint leaves
• Handful fresh coriander leaves and stalks
• 2 nests of vermicelli noodles (I use Mama Instant Rice Noodles)
• Handful roasted peanuts (use other nuts if you don't have peanuts, or even sesame seeds)
• 1 lime
• 1 red chilli

For the satay dressing

• 2 tbsp peanut butter (I used crunchy but use what you have)
• 1 red chilli
• 2 cm piece of ginger
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 drop of white wine or rice wine vinegar

First whack the oven up to 180 degrees and place the two chicken thighs onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with the sesame oil and season generously. Place into the oven for 40 minutes until cooked through and the skin is crisp.

In the meantime you can begin to assemble the salad and make up the dressing.

Cook x2 nests of the vermicelli rice noodles, then drain and put back into the pot with cold water from the tap, leave to stand for a few minutes, then drain again and set aside. You want these noodles to be cold for the salad.

Peel the carrot and chop into small matchstick sized pieces and place into a mixing bowl or a salad bowl.

Take the tops off of the radish, and again cut into matchstick sized pieces and add to the carrot.

Repeat the process with the yellow pepper. 

Finely slice the red onion and spring onions (if you don't have both, just use one and a white onion would suffice here too). 

Now roughly chop the mint leaves (remove any hard stalks) and then the coriander and add to the bowl with the noodles. Combine all as best you can so the noodles should have a combination of the different crunchy vegetables running through them.

Move the noodle salad into your serving bowl and set aside.

At this point, half the lime, and roughly chop the peanuts and just leave to one side for a minute. Finely slice the red chilli and leave with the peanuts and lime. 

To make the satay dressing, in a small bowl, add the peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil and fish sauce. Half the lime and squeeze in the juice. Add the white wine or rice vinegar, just a small drop. You can use a different vinegar if you don't have white wine or rice vinegar too.

Now peel the ginger and either grate in, or very finely chop and add to the dressing. Finely slice the other red chilli and add to the marinade and mix well. Season with black pepper and set aside for the minute.

One the chicken is out of the oven, allow it to rest for five minutes and then move the thighs onto the chopping board you've been using for the vegetables.

Use a fork and a sharp knife to chop or shred away at the meat, make sure to keep the delicious and crispy chicken skin too. 

Now you're ready to assemble the dish. So take about half of the dressing and pour over the noodle salad. You will need to use salad tongs, or a spoon and fork to move the noodle salad around to ensure it all gets a good dressing.

Now pile up the chicken on top of the noodle salad, in one area, and drizzle over the remaining satay dressing over the chicken. Make sure some of the crispy chicken skin remains uncovered - it's a lovely additional texture in this salad.

Now scatter over the chopped peanuts over the salad, add the two halves of lime, and scatter over the fresh red chilli and you're ready to serve. Enjoy!

If you like Asian flavours here are a few other dishes that might appeal:

Sticky Asian Salmon

Chinese Style Roast Chicken

Prawn Summer Rolls

Slimming Friendly Char Sui Pork

Thai Salmon Fishcakes with Quick Chilli Oil

Honey Chilli and Coconut Prawns with Ho Fun Noodles

Chinese Chicken with Mushrooms

Quick Pork Noodle Soup

Pork Potsticker Dumplings

Thai Beef Salad

Quick Spicy Beef Fried Rice

Honey, Chilli and Coconut Prawns With Ho Fun Noodles

This is a lovely warming dish that feels like the kind of guilty pleasure you'd get from a Chinese takeaway, but in fact, with a few simple tweaks and measuring of all the naughty ingredients, such as the oils and honey, is actually a healthy balanced meal with a good protein:carb:vegetable ratio.

Ho fun are a wide flat noodle and are much better fresh if you can find them - they sell them in most Asian supermarkets and they work really well with this dish. If you can't find them, substitute for another low-calorie rice noodle such as Mama, and if you're on a reduced carb diet, omit from using them at all.

The tiny amount of desiccated coconut adds a fantastic sweetness along with the honey which puts me in mind of a sweet and sour dish, and is balanced well against the sriracha, five spice and shaohsing wine.

The below serves two and comes in at 520 calories per portion with a 100g portion of stir fried hot tun (Chinese greens) - I must stress how important it is to weigh out ingredients if like me you are on a fat fighting/ healthy eating journey as otherwise this could be a seriously calorific dish - by sticking to the below quantities this is a fantastic mid-week meal.

Honey Chilli and Coconut Prawns with Ho Fun

Here's how:

• 200g king prawns
• 200g fresh ho fun noodles
• 1 green pepper
• 2 carrots
• 50g sweetcorn
• 100g broccoli
• 50g fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp sriracha sauce
• 1tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp shaohsing wine
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 2 tsp runny honey
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice
• 20g desiccated coconut

Firstly prepare everything as this takes very little time to cook. Crush the garlic and peel and slice the ginger into matchsticks.

Slice the pepper, chop the broccoli into small florets and peel the carrots then also turn into matchsticks.

De-vein the prawns and set aside for the minute.

Now place the coconut oil, sesame oil ginger, garlic and dried chilli flakes into a wok and place on a medium heat till it begins to soften. Now add the Chinese five spice, shaohsing, soy, sriracha, honey and desiccated coconut, and allow to bubble - this will make the delicious gravy or sauce for the dish.

Now firstly add the carrots and broccoli into the wok and allow to cook for a minute. Now add the pepper and sweetcorn and cook for a further minute.

The prawns go in next and only take about 3-4 minutes to cook - you'll know they are cooked when they become pink in colour.

As soon as the prawns are cooked, add the ho fun; or whichever noodles you are using. These will cook in a couple of minutes. Use a spatula to break up gently and mix all the while to ensure the noodles are well coated in the sauce.

Serve alongside some braised or quick-fried Chinese vegetables such as pak choi, ho tun (as I have) or chinese cabbage. Enjoy!