Stir-Fried Three-Bean Rice Noodles

I'm sort of having an Asian food moment. It's had its ups and downs so far; I seem to use a heavy hand with ginger, and always underestimate how much soy sauce I actually want, but overall my trials and errors have pretty much satisfied my Far East cravings.


I bought these super-thin rice noodles on a total whim, knowing only I had found a great deal on fresh snap peas and intended on eating them as soon as possible. Rice pasta tastes very similar to regular pasta, but it definitely does add a little something special to an Asian dish. My intent was to stir-fry them until they were a little crisp - this didn't happen. In fact, the stir-frying action basically just tore them into smaller pieces, so I quickly abandoned that plan and just mixed them up with the beans as fast as possible.


Once I added the right amount of soy sauce to this dish (a lot), it was really good - without the saltiness of the soy sauce, the bite of the ginger and the cayenne was just too overpowering. I loved the crispness of all the fresh beans, and of course I can never get enough of my beloved chickpeas. I'd love to try this with some toasted nuts next time.

STIR-FRIED THREE-BEAN NOODLES

INGREDIENTS

Makes 5-6 servings

1 package Thai rice noodles
handful grean snap peas, fresh
handful green beans, trimmed
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed thoroughly
1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
3 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 T. minced fresh ginger root
couple splashes rice wine vinegar
soy sauce to taste
salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste

STEP ONE:

Heat the olive oil in your largest skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion, red pepper, and carrot, seasoning with a little salt and pepper and cayenne pepper, until slightly softened. Add garlic and ginger and cook until frangrant. Add vinegar and cook until evaporated slightly.




STEP TWO:

Meanwhile, boil the snap peas and green beans in a large pot of water until crisp-tender. Remove water from heat and put in rice noodles. Allow to sit in the water until softened but not mushy. Drain.




STEP THREE:

Add the noodles, beans, and chickpeas, and soy sauce to skillet. Stir-fry a few minutes until everything is incorporated. Trasfer to a plate and serving platter or plate and enjoy!



I actually ate some leftovers with a scrambled egg piled on top for some added protein - it was a nice addition; of course you could scramble it right in the pan, too.

It's safe to say I have a long road of Asian-cooking-technique perfecting ahead of me, but I be it'll be a tasty journey.


Thanks for reading! More soon...