I whipped up this tasty little number for dinner the other evening, which I have christened my Summer Noodle Surprise. We are currently getting a heatwave here in Britain (long overdue, after an Arctic winter which went on for about 6 months!), so it’s all  light summer food, salads, barbecues, everywhere now. I find that the heat makes me naturally more thirsty but less hungry, so I am not eating big or stodgy meals, just light, fresh food, like salad dishes. The “surprise” in this recipe is that it is a kind of cross between a salad and a stir-fry, and it is perfect for a summer evening supper: quick, tasty and satisfying, but not too filling. I use the kind of noodles that come pre-cooked in a packet and then you then just fry them, but you could also use the other kind that you boil first (or try raw ones, maybe!)

Ingredients

1 packet (around 100g) of pre-cooked straight-to-wok noodles

1 ripe avocado

1 small carrot, chopped into thin sticks

1 clove of garlic, minced or crushed

Handful of spinach leaves

1 small red chilli, chopped

Squirt of lime juice

Dash of olive oil

Salt and freshly ground  white pepper, to taste

1-2 glugs of light soy sauce

1-2 glugs of balsamic vinegar

2-3 cups spinach or other greens (optional)

Method

1) Slice the avocado and carrot and and put in a large bowl. Add the chopped chilli, garlic, spinach leaves, lime juice, vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil and seasoning, and mix well. Leave to marinade for a few minutes.

2) Fry the noodles in a wok or frying pan for 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat Let cool slightly.

3) Add the noodles to the sauce in the bowl, mix in well.

4) That’s it! Serve immediately, and enjoy. (You could have it with rice crackers, etc., as an accompaniment.)

*Image courtesy Flickr creative commons.