It’s 4.30 and Grant and I are having the conversation that happens most days while I’m logging off work and he’s driving home. The one where he asks what the menu is for dinner and what he needs to pick up from the supermarket.
This tells you a lot about us:
- That we’re the shop daily types
- That Grant usually does the groceries. Before you look at me in the way I know you’re going to and ask me why we don’t at least share this load or tell me how lucky I am that my husband does the groceries, let me just say this: he enjoys it and I don’t. Plus he’s a (not so) secret smoker and won’t buy cigarettes while I’m around and I point blank refuse to enable the habit. Therefore, he does the groceries.
- That by Thursday the healthy meal plan I constructed with such enthusiasm on Sunday afternoon and put on the fridge under a magnet so he didn’t need to ask me every day what was for dinner has palled somewhat and we’re both after something quick and comforting in a bowl.
This afternoon, when he asks what we need from the shops, I say, ‘pork mince and instant noodles.’
There’s silence for a second or so and then he says, ‘what did you say?’
I repeat myself.
‘Instant noodes? What sort?’
‘The sort that come in a little packet like a brick that you pour a chemical-laden flavour sachet onto and mix with boiling water when you can’t be faffed making anything else.’
He’s silent again – understandably so as I’m not an instant noodles sort of girl. Instant-ish noodles, yes – udon or soba noodles slopped with rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil and spring onions. Or these lunchtime noodles with ginger, garlic, chilli and a few store cupboard sauces. Noodles that are ten minutes in the making as opposed to two.
Finally he says, ‘what flavour do you want?’
‘It doesn’t matter – we won’t be using the flavour sachet.’
‘And pork mince?’
‘Yep.’
‘Right… I don’t know how I feel about that…’
He did, in fact, remain suspicious of it right until the first chopstick full went in his mouth – and now pimped up spicy noodles are a staple for the end of the week when the day job has been tough and the idea of something more healthy and virtuous involving vegetables or salad isn’t quite as appealing (although we do sometimes toss some Asian greens through if we have any lurking about in the fridge).
This recipe originally came from an Instagram post by RecipeTin Eats @recipe_tin. I’ve mucked around with it a tad (because we like it saucier and spicier) – but I reckon recipes like this are written to be mucked about with and made your own. You’ll find my version of it here…
Linking up with Donna from Retirement Reflections and her co-host Deb The Widow Badass Blog in their #whatsonyourplateblogchallenge.
And Anyways... 
You had me at sambal. Everybody needs a few recipes like this in their repertoire ‘cos people gotta eat!
Deb
Absolutely!
I would have been suspicious in the beginning as well…but you had me by the end. Fun post!
He’s now thinking of variations he can do with it.
That looks like a great dish for those nights that I just don’t want to work too hard (ummmm… most nights). I don’t know what pork mince is but I assume I could just get some pork bits and mince them (see what a gourmet cook I am?). I have an Asiany cucumber/celery/avocado salad recipe that would pair well with this.
I think you guys would call it ground pork – or ground beef works really well with it too.
What a great way to use instant noodles Jo and the fact that Grant trusted you implicitly!
Well, maybe not implicitly lol…
There’s nothing that a bowl of spicy noodles can’t fix. Incidentally I’ve found a new dumpling/noodle house and it’s BYO! I hope we get to try it together before I leave…
Sounds like it needs to be a date!
…just quietly…my hubby does the grocery shopping too. He likes it. I hate it. I pop out for top ups though. This recipe is my cup of tea. I will be giving it a try – thank you and have a great week!
Mine laughs at how I never know where anything is when I do go out for top ups lol.
You had me at two minute noodles! And I’m a dab hand with mince too – so win/win! I won’t let my hub do the shopping – he gets led astray by shiny things and my grocery bill escalates accordingly. So thrifty shopper me does it – sometimes with him by my side to keep me company (and to bend over to get the stuff off the bottom shelves now my hip’s so dodgy).
My husband is the main grocery shopper each week. It started when I was in hospital, then I took it back and then I wondered…”why?” so he is the Wednesday person with the list that IS our local Woolies in order…sigh! It works though. During the week, as I love to get out, I do a catch up. We meal plan for two nights, the rest of the time we have staples and good old freezer meals I batch cook. This meal sounded great!
Thank you so much for linking up your blog post for Life’s Stories this week.
As you probably know, the last link up date here on Denyse Whelan Blogs is Monday 20 June 2022.
I do hope to see your post there too. Of course, if you cannot link up, I so understand and want to thank you for the support of my blog and the link up over the years.
Warm wishes, and take care.
Denyse.
I’ll make sure I’m there!
I love how you roll … we like dressing up instant noodles too … the possibilities are just endless! and we have a meal ready so very quickly!
It’s the perfect mid-weeker
Hi Jo, most importantly, I hope you and Grant are feeling better. Funny how you describe these noodles and I love your phrase “Pimped up Noodles.” Certain foods just hit the spot for the end of the week.xx
Thanks Erica… x