Noodles… but fancy ;)

Two-minute noodles, they’re a classic, for students everywhere…

At the Food Pantry, we stock an awful lot of two-minute noodles… and you guys can’t get enough!

So we thought we’d share a few recipes to make those two-minute noodles a little less boring. These recipes are customisable to your taste and how healthy you want to make them.

Top tip:

We recommend stocking up on herbs and spices to really maximise taste. It can be a little bit of upfront cost, however, your tastebuds will thank you! Recommendations include; garlic powder, onion powder, Cajun seasoning (if you like a bit of spice), Italian herb mix, cumin, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.

Get creative! Follow your heart, embrace your gastronomical creativity and gauge your hunger levels.

Chicken noodle soup

Always a winner, especially when you’re feeling a little under the weather.

This chicken noodle soup is super easy and takes 10 minutes or less! When you don’t feel like cooking, but you know that you’re due for a nutritious meal and don’t have much money, whip together this chicken noodle soup.

Ingredients:

• Barbeque cooked chicken (you could also purchase a single chicken breast and bake it)
• Two-minute noodles
• Creamed corn
• Onion
• Butter or oil
• Whichever herbs take your fancy – if you want to splash out and buy fresh herbs, parsley, coriander, or chives make excellent additions. Dried herbs like thyme, rosemary, and oregano can really make a big difference to your dish.
• Chicken or vegetable stock
• Boiling water

Method:

1. Boil the kettle.
2. Finely dice the onion and cook in oil or butter until translucent. Put to the side.
3. Make some stock by dissolving your stock cube or powder into boiling water – the amount is dependent on how many bowls of soup you’re making, but follow the instructions on the packaging.
4. Cook your two-minute noodles, according to the instructions on the packet.
5. Take your cooked chicken and pull apart the meat. Shred into bite-sized pieces.
6. If you’re using fresh herbs, finely chop the herbs.
7. Place a small amount of the onion, chicken, noodles, and herbs into your bowl – the combination and amount of food you place in the bowl is up to you!
8. Pour some of the stock into the bowl over the other ingredients.
9. Serve!

Corn and Noodle Fritters

Why go to a café for fritters? Use two-minute noodles and make your own!

We found a really easy and tasty recipe for corn and noodle fritters here.

To make it convincingly café quality, serve the fritters with some baby spinach or Asian slaw and maybe even a fried or poached egg. They would also make a good addition to a salad or could be served with a side of vegetables.

And no, we won’t stop telling you to eat your vegetables.

Stir fry

Noodles are noodles, right? No need to buy expensive stir fry noodles when you’ve got two-minutes noodles in the cupboard!

Stir fry can be as quick as you like, but if you’re feeling fancy, you could do a little bit more…
It’s up to you whether you use a bag of frozen stir fry vegetables, or whether you use fresh vegetables. Same goes with the sauce – buy a jar or sachet of stir fry sauce or make your own!

If you’d like to be fancy, garnish your stir fry with crushed peanuts and freshly chopped shallots.

For a simple and easy chicken stir fry to feed 3-4 people:

You’ll need:

• 3 chicken breast fillets, sliced into thin strips
• 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (or peanut oil if you fancy)
• A jar or sachet of stir fry sauce (if you want a homemade sauce – mix together 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce and 1 tablespoon of water)
• 3-4 individual packets of two-minute noodles
• A packet of frozen stir fry vegetables (or a selection of your favourite fresh vegetables, sliced)

Method:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frypan (or a wok) over high heat, swirling the pan around to coat the cooking surface with oil.
2. Add half the chicken strips and stir fry until the chicken is seared and just cooked through. Remove from the pan.
3. Cook the remaining half of the chicken strips in the same way. Remove from the pan.
4. Add a bit more oil to the frypan and swirl it around. Add your vegetables (whether they’re frozen or fresh) and stir fry for a few minutes until they’re heated through.
5. While the vegetables cook, in a large saucepan, boil some water. Once the water is boiling, add your two-minute noodles and boil according to the instructions on the packet, without any seasoning sachets.
6. Once your vegetables are cooked, add the chicken strips into the frypan.
7. Add your chosen stir fry sauce to the frypan and heat through.
8. Once your two-minute noodles are cook, drain them in a strainer.
9. You are now ready to serve your two-minute noodle stir fry!

If you need any more suggestions there are a few more noodle recipes we love here OR if you’re feeling really creative send us your recipes and creations for a feature on our blog!

At Advocacy & Welfare, we know that food is so important. That’s why we run the Student Food Pantry, where you can get free pantry staples like noodles, rice, and tinned vegetables.

If you’re struggling, please come chat to us. We are here to make sure your UNE experience is the best. You’re never alone.