Wonder Noodles

If you follow me on instagram you’ll know I love my food and am guilty of being one of those annoying people that takes far too many pictures of avocado on toast. While no professional, I’m really into cooking and learning bits and pieces about nutrition along the way, and with this new Living section on FMN, I’ve been meaning to post some recipes and food tips for what seems like forever. Anyway, I thought I’d kick off this new side of things with a favourite, store cupboard staple of mine; soba noodles.

These little noodles are super filling (without being bloating), made of buckwheat, and therefore gluten free, cook in 5 minutes and go with virtually everything. They used to be limited to health food shops and Waitrose but now you can find them in pretty much every big supermarket (Sainsbury’s is my local and always has loads). These have almost replaced pasta in my house now and are so quick to cook there’s no excuse not to make a proper meal after work, even when really, really knackered. Trust me, I’ve been there. That’s one rule I live by; eat absolutely anything you want, just make the time cook it yourself. Anything that needs piercing before cooking need not apply…

Anyway, if you’re still unconvinced, below are three delicious variations I rely upon weekly. I introduced my boyfriend to soba noodles and he’s now obsessed too, actually preferring them to white pasta. Although I will say, nothing beats a long strand of white spaghetti when it comes to Carbonara and crab… Each version takes 15 minutes maximum, scout’s honour. Beat that Jamie Oliver.

1. Courgetti (spiralized courgette) mixed with the noodles, stirred through with spinach, ricotta and baked salmon. A great way to get some raw veg in you without skimping on carbs. I for one don’t feel full without a few carbs, and inevitably end up having another meal a few hours later….

2. Spicy tomato sauce, kale, pancetta and feta (pictured above). You could also swap the pancetta for crumbled sausage meat or add some roasted vegetables if you’re veggie.

3. Warm up some chicken stock with lemongrass and chilli, stir through some cooked pak choi or cabbage, strips of cooked chicken and add some silky soba noodles. Such a nice warming broth and amazing for coughs and colds. If you come down with a nasty cold this winter, ditch dairy immediately and load up on chicken soup, it’s one of the best things for tackling all things mucus. (Apologies for using one of the grossest words in the English language. Bet you didn’t think you’d read the word mucus on a fashion blog today! Now all I need to say is moist…)

3. Fresh homemade pesto, yellow tomatoes, peas, spinach and feta (pictured below). Homemade pesto is so easy and quick; pine nuts, basil, oil, salt, pepper, raw garlic and I chuck in spinach or kale to get some more raw greens in there, all whizzed up in food processor. I do mine in my NutriBullet. If you can’t be bothered, just go for the fresh pesto in supermarkets rather than the jars. Just watch out for the enormous amounts of parmesan crammed in there…