Coming up with meals everyday can get tricky. I don't want to exhaust my favourite dishes and I don't want to experiment too much in the kitchen.

When I'm stumped for a meal, my default is usually ramen. Especially any of the Samyang Buldak Hot Chicken Ramen (my favs are Buldak Ramen Carbonara, Buldak Ramen Cheese, and the OG Buldak Ramen) or Indomie Mi Goreng Fried Noodles. Unfortunately, I'm someone who can eat the same thing, everyday, multiple times a day, for months on end. Especially ramen. I know I have to restrain myself though, ramen alone does not have much nutritional value and the sodium content is INSANE.

Left: Samyang Buldak Ramen topped with a soft boiled egg and beyond sausage, Right: Indomie Mi Goreng Fried Noodles topped with a medium boiled egg, breaded shrimp, left-over paneer from takeout, and green onions

Luckily, I've found three noodle recipes that I can fall back on that ISN'T just ramen. These recipes are quick, simple to make, and satisfies my noodle cravings. In this blog we'll be going over 3 quick and easy noodle recipes: Peanut Butter Noodles, Gochujang Noodles, and a Mediterranean-inspired Pasta Salad. 

Peanut Butter Noodles

One of my go-to appetizers at a Vietnamese restaurant is Gỏi cuốn; Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls served with, amongst other condiments, a delicious peanut butter sauce. My love for that Peanut Butter sauce is what inspired me to search for a corresponding noodle dish. This recipe is ultimately an ode to one of my favourite Vietnamese sides. It's a cold-served dish that's savoury, sweet, and a little spicy.

There's also a handful of toppings I love to have with these noodles. Eggs, gyozas, and cucumbers, are my favourite toppings. And because these noodles hit/compliment almost every different taste profile, the topping possibilities are endless! 

Takes about 10 minutes to prep and about 20 to set. Makes 1-2 servings.

Peanut Butter Noodles topped with cucumbers and a soft-boiled egg

Ingredients

• 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter
• 2-3 tablespoons of sesame oil
• 2-3 tablespoons of sriracha
• 2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 tablespoon minced dehydrated garlic (alt.: 1 clove finely minced garlic)
• Green onions or chives
• 85g of your fav noodles
• I like to use egg noodles, but you can also use chow mein noodles, ramen noodles, rice vermicelli, spaghetti, etc.
• Your fav toppings
• I like to use whatever I have on hand - soft boiled eggs, gyozas, cucumbers, marinated tofu, shrimp, etc.
• Sesame seeds to garnish (optional)

Peanut Butter Noodles with cucumbers, gyozas, a soft boiled egg and topped with sesame seeds and green onions

Directions

1. In a bowl, stir in your peanut butter, sesame oil, sriracha, soy sauce, honey, and garlic. Set aside
2. Cook your noodles, drain, then save about ¼ cup of noodle water.
3. Stir in the noodle water into your sauce, mix thoroughly
4. Add in your noodles to the sauce, mix thoroughly
5. Cover then leave in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to cool
6. Once your noodles are ready to serve, top them off with your fav ingredients then garnish with chives and sesame seeds.

I don't do this often, but depending on my toppings for the day, I also like to squeeze a bit of lime juice at the end to help balance out all the flavours and cut through the peanut butter sauce!

Gochujang Noodles

I saw this New York Times recipe for Gochujang Buttered Noodles and I had to try it. I had all the ingredients, it seemed easy enough, and I loved the idea of an easy gochujang noodle recipe.

Although I have to admit - I was pretty disappointed in how it turned out. I found the NYT recipe to be bland, BUT I knew there was potential with the recipe. 

So, after tweaking the ingredients and measurements, I'm happy to say I've found a pretty decent recipe. It's savoury, it's spicy, it's umami, and there's a hint of sweetness. This dish has quickly made its way into my weekly meal rotations.

To make the sauce, I like to add one part of everything, two parts gochujang, and a dash of honey. Measurements below are a baseline, so feel free to adjust according to taste. Recipe makes 1-2 servings and takes about 20 mins to make. 

Gochujang noodles topped with marinated cucumbers, a soy sauce omelette, kimchi, and sesame seeds

Ingredients

• ½-¾ bulb of garlic, finely minced
• 1 small onion
• 4 tablespoons of gochujang paste
• 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
• About ½ a tablespoon of honey
• Ground black pepper
• 85g of your fav noodles (I like to use egg noodles, but you can also use chow mein noodles, ramen noodles, spaghetti, etc.)
• ½ a green pepper, sliced (optional)
• Sesame seeds to garnish (optional)
• Chili crisp oil (optional)

Left: Gochujang noodles made with green peppers, Right: Gochujang noodles served with beyond sausage

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook your noodles about a minute or two less than the package's instructions
2. Once the noodles are done, drain, set aside, and save about a ¼ cup of noodle water.
3. Separately, heat up a well oiled pan on medium-high
4. Once you pan is hot, sauté your onions and garlic
5. If you're adding in green peppers, sauté them with your garlic and onions until tender
6. Once everything is fragrant and your onions are slightly caramelized, lower your heat then add in the gochujang paste, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and black pepper to taste
7. Mix the sauce well before slowly adding some, but not all, of the noodle water. Stir thoroughly
8. Let your sauce simmer for about 3 minutes before adding in your cooked noodles
9. Make sure your noodles are thoroughly coated with the sauce. If your sauce is sticking to the the pan, or seems to be drying out, add in more of the noodle water as needed and stir
10. Turn off the heat and let your noodles sit in the pan until they've sucked up all the sauce.
11. Serve hot then top it off with sesame seeds and chili crisp oil for some crunch and extra heat 🍝

Gochujang noodles made with mushrooms and topped with kimchi, beyond sausage, soy sauce eggs, green onions, and sesame seeds

Enjoy this dish as a side or as a main! Like the Peanut Butter Noodles, I love to have these noodles with a handful of toppings. I especially love to add soy sauce omelette, beyond sausage if I need more protein, kimchi, steamed broccoli, cucumber salad, and/or whatever other veggies I have on hand. 

Mediterranean Pasta Salad 

Not a noodle recipe, per se, but this recipe can definitely be made with noodles! I'm a big fan of Mediterranean Pasta Salad - it's simple, refreshing, light, and makes for a great meal prep. Like the Peanut Butter Noodles, this recipe is best served cooled, and goes well with a number of sides. 

Takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to set. Serves 1-2.

Ingredients

• ¼  cup of cucumbers, chopped
• As much olives as you'd like
• chopped, sliced, or served whole, whatever your preference is
• ¼ cup cherry tomatoes
• A quarter of a red onion, chopped
• ¼ cup of crumbled feta cheese
• Oregano (optional)
• Fresh basil (optional; alt.: dried basil)
• About 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• About 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• About half a cup of your fav cooked pasta or noodles (I like to use penne or fusilli)

Directions

1. In a container, stir in all your ingredients, add as much or as little veggies and cheese as you want, taste as you’re mixing and season accordingly
2. Make sure the olive oil and your seasoning evenly coats all your veggies and pasta
3. Store in the fridge for at least 20 mins before serving

Mediterranean Pasta Salad with pan-fried salmon

Enjoy with your favourite protein or on its own! Feel free to double, or even triple, your serving size and enjoy this pasta for the rest of the week.