Well, hello there: ginger beef noodles may sound like the nickname you may give an ex-lover but no, fear not, it’s just another delicious dish from us, the two fat blokes who occasionally trouble your inbox. If you want the recipe then scroll straight to the pictures, because as ever, we have a bit of admin and an update for you.
Firstly, have you pre-ordered our new cookbook yet? Because if you have, then we must insist you take part in our competition for a chance to win £250 towards your food shop this Christmas. Just send an email with a copy of your pre-order or what have you to fastandfilling@hodder.co.uk to be in with a chance of winning. Not ordered your copy yet? Preorder yours here! I know it’s an obvious thing to say but honestly, we’re even prouder of this book than our last! 100 more slimming recipes and our usual nonsense. Go!
So, how are we? Well. You know when people say it never rains but it pours? Turns out that it doesn’t just apply to your liberal touch with the gravy boat, young lady.
No, 2020 wasn’t quite done with us just yet. After being forced to spend three weeks apart due to various self-isolation dramas, we finally got back together. Hooray: back to catty asides and me staring disdainfully at Paul as he struggles to put his shoes on of a morning. We had decided to try for a weekend away because what greater joy is there than exploring a desolated high street in a different city before enjoying a meal surrounded by plexiglass? I ask you.
Only, of course, that didn’t happen. Paul got a notification to say he had been around someone who had tested positive for COVID and so off we went for tests. Paul’s came back positive. Mine came back negative. We’re living in a hotel at the moment and so the staff – who have been absolutely wonderful – squirreled me into a different hotel room right next door. That was eight days ago, and two waiting games begun:
- Paul to see how bad his infection would be and to ride it out (10 days); and
- me to see if I became symptomatic (14 days)
So, by way of update: Paul has been incredibly lethargic, a terrible sense of taste and gets out of breath easily, and then to contract COVID on top of that has been a shock. Jokes aside, he’s done absolutely fine – each day seems to have brought a new symptom, but he’s just getting on with it. Which doesn’t surprise me, he’s an incredibly stoic person when it comes to stuff like this. He’s not just my rock because he weighs a tonne and smells of sulphur, you know. Hopefully he’ll be on the mend soon, although it’s going to be a while before I go back into our shared room without fretting he’s accidentally left a thin sheen of spittle on everything. I’ve seen him eating: it’s inevitable.
For me, well: I have health anxiety and have been trying really hard to minimise my COVID risk, so I thought I’d spiral and go completely doolally, but actually, save for a minor wobble at the start, I’ve been fine! Worst part has been the self-isolation and not being able to go outside: I find myself pressing up against the hotel window and gazing longingly at the folks outside – which given I haven’t worn clothes for a good seven days now must look like an especially obese starfish pressed up against the walls of its tank.
I still don’t understand how I didn’t catch it from Wobbles McGee given I shared a bed with him for a full week and had many a car trip with him coughing and spluttering away, but I suppose there’s still time yet. Part of me thinks I may have already had it back in February, but who can say? Anyway: wish us both luck!
Now, let’s not keep you for a moment more: our next recipe is here – ginger beef noodles!
It’s ginger beef noodles, but honestly, this works well with pork and lamb too.
Only 1.5 syns for a massive portion of ginger beef noodles.
Now that’s proper scran and make no mistake. Ginger beef noodles on the plate in twenty minutes!
ginger beef noodles
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 servings
This makes enough for two large servings, but it's an easy enough recipe to double up if you need to. Or stretch the ginger beef noodles out by adding more vegetables. You do you!
Hey guess what, yes, it's another Hello Fresh recipe. Don't worry, we aren't being sponsored or owt like that, we're just very satisfied customers using 'em during a difficult period, and hoping that if we praise them enough they won't bollock us for sharing their recipes. We've modified this slightly to make it lower in calories and a few of the ingredients to ones you're more likely to find in your local supermarket, but it tastes just as good. If you want in on the action, you can use this link to get £20 off your first box, and you slip £20 our way n'all. Win win, eh?
Ingredients
- 500g lean beef mince
- 160g green beans
- 2 peppers
- 1 lime
- 1 tbsp of ginger paste
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce (3 syns)
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 250g dried egg noodles
- 1 bunch of coriander (optional)
Instructions
- trim the green beans and chop into thirds (or rinse under lukewarm water to defrost if you're using frozen), then set aside
- halve the peppers and discard the seeds and core, and slice into thin strips
- zest and quarter the lime
- roughly chop the coriander (if using)
- fill a large pan with water and bring to the boil
- meanwhile, spray a large frying pan with a little oil and place over a medium-high heat
- add the mince and cook until browned (about 6-8 minutes), then scoop out the pan into a large bowl and stir in the hoisin and oyster sauce and half of the soy sauce and set aside
- when the water is boiling, add the noodles and cook for 4 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water
- return the frying pan to the heat and spray with a bit more oil
- add the sliced peppers and runner beans to the pan and stir fry for a few minutes
- add the ginger and garlic to the pan and cook for another minute
- add the remaining soy sauce to the pan and stir
- add the mince back to the pan along with the noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously
- remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lime zest, juice of half the lime and half of the chopped coriander
- serve into bowls and sprinkle over the remaining coriander and remaining wedges of lime
Notes
Recipe
- frozen or tinned runner beans are absolutely fine in this, no need to get fancy
- any colour peppers will do, it doesn't really matter
- don't be put off by oyster sauce - it doesn't taste like you think it would, and gives a lovely, rich taste. Try it!
- either light or dark soy sauce is fine in this, use whatever you have
Books
- OUR BRAND NEW COOKBOOK IS COMING OUT SOON! You thought the last one was good? It was, but this sequel is even better - it'll be coming out just in time for the new year! Preorder yours here!
- our first slimming cookbook can be ordered online now – full of 100+ slimming recipes, and bloody amazing, with over 3000 5* reviews – even if we do say so ourselves: click here to order
- our new diet planner is out now and utterly brilliant – you can order it here – thank you to everyone so far for the positive feedbacks
Tools
- finely mince that garlic and ginger with ease - get a Microplane grater and you’ll use it every day!
- give the pan a good coating of oil with a mister – this is what we use
Courses noodles
Cuisine dunno, whatever, who even reads this bit?
Still absolutely Hank Marvin? Don’t worry, we’ve got you. Here’s more!
- pork and ginger stir fry (syn free)
- salt and pepper chips (syn free)
- saucy diet cherry coke chicken (syn free)
- speedy spring roll bowls (syn free)
- bacon and egg fried rice (syn free)
- salt & pepper chicken (syn free)
- perfect egg fried rice (syn free)
- beef in a black bean sauce (0.5 syns)
- stir fry cucumber and pork (1 syn)
- saucy rainbow beef (1.5 syns)
- best ever lemon chicken (1.5 syns)
- thai chicken dipping balls (1 syn)
Enjoy!
J