Salmon & soba noodle salad

ingredients

Serves 4-6 as a main

• 4 salmon fillets

• 250g buckwheat & wholewheat soba noodles

• 120g frozen shelled edamame beans

• ¼ small Chinese leaf, chopped finely

• 1 lg carrot, grated

• 150g sweetheart cabbage, chopped finely

• 2-3 spring onions, chopped finely

• 1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)

Dressing

• 4 tbsp sesame oil

• 6 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp unsweetened peanut butter

• 1 tbsp mirin

• 1 small garlic clove, grated

• Juice 1 lime

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C

• Mix all the dressing ingredients together by shaking vigorously in a jar or whisking with a fork in a bowl.

• Line a baking tray with parchment and place the salmon fillets on it leaving a few cm space in between each one. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season.

• Roast in the oven for 12-14 minutes until just cooked through. Set aside to cool.

• While the salmon is in the oven, boil a kettle full of water and add to a large saucepan. Put in the noodles and simmer for 5 minutes, or as per packet instructions.

• Steam the edamame over the noodles for 3-5 minutes, or until just defrosted.

• Chop and grate all the veggies.

• Drain the noodles and then cool quickly by running under the cold tap, drain thoroughly. Do the same with the edamame so they stop cooking, or put them straight in a bowl of iced water, but drain thoroughly afterwards.

• Once the noodles are drained well, put them back in the dry pan and add about half the dressing, mix well.

• Remove the skin from the salmon and break up gently into large flakes with a fork.

• Get a large serving plate and layer the salad: start with a layer of noodles, then veggies and salmon, drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of dressing, repeat.

• Sprinkle with spring onion and red chilli, if using, to serve.

Vegan noodle bowl

I’m rapidly becoming obsessed with making noodle bowls! They’re the perfect balance of flavour, texture, nutrients and they look bloody amazing too. This is my latest combo that we ate for lunch today, but it would have been equally good as a main course - it might only serve 3 for dinner though, so make a bit more if you have big appetites!

Ingredients

• 220g packet brown vermicelli noodles

• 130g mangetout or sugar snap peas, whole 

• 150g carrots, as finely julienned as possible 

• 2 spring onions - I used 3cm of the green end of leek as I didn’t have any onions, red would also be fine too

• 100g radishes, chopped into thin slices

• 100g cucumber, julienned

• Juice of 1 lime 

• 200g firm tofu - optional

  Dressing 

• 7 tbsp rapeseed or sunflower oil

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 3 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar (white wine if not)

• 4 tbsp smooth peanut butter, crunchy is fine too though

Method

• First cook the noodles as per the packet instructions, rinse well in cold water and set aside. 

• Chop the veggies and set aside, but don’t mix them.

• Put all the dressing ingredients into a shaker (this Oxo Good Grips one is great - no more leaky jars!) or jar and mix really well as the peanut butter will take longer to dissolve.

• Pour 2/3 of the dressing over the noodles and mix well. If the dressing is a little thick then add a tbsp or two of water. 

• Divide the noodles into 4 bowls and add the veggies in little groups. 

• If you’re using tofu then chop into small cubes and fry on a medium heat for about 5 minutes in a little sesame oil. Once browned on at least two sides add a splash of soy for flavour. 

• Add the tofu to the bowls and serve with a lime wedge and the rest of the dressing drizzled over the veggies.