WARM SUPERFOOD NOODLE SALAD

Healthy Lunch at Work Series: Part 2

(also a Guest Post at Health Rebelution)

I'm very excited to share with you the second post in my Healthy Lunch at Work Series. The response from the first one was so positive that it seems like I am not the only one thinking about new ways to eat healthily (and deliciously) whilst juggling a busy lifestyle. This is designed for working people who want to maintain their healthy eating habits at work. I hear a lot of friends and colleagues tell me they just don't know what to do or where to start, so they just end up buying lunch from Tesco (gasp). This warm noodle salad recipe is full of healthy fats, wholegrain fibre and lots of fresh vegetables bursting with vitamins and minerals, the perfect way to stay energised throughout the afternoon!

This is the ideal "I-literally-have-no-time-to-make-packed-lunches-the-night-before" kind of lunch, and just requires grabbing whatever fresh vegetables you have in your fridge that morning as you run out the door, that's it! You will also need to stock up on a few healthy essentials beforehand and then your "office larder" is all good to go. It's very simple; just make sure you have the following items at your desk in order to prepare this lunch in under 10 minutes:

- buckwheat noodles or brown rice noodles
- dried Asian mushrooms (any Asian supermarket)
- olive oil
- sesame oil
- tamari
- apple cider vinegar
- mixed seeds and nuts

- chilli flakes

All of these items can just remain at your desk as they are non-perishable, which is what makes this dish so easy and hassle-free! As a health-conscious individual, I'm totally anti-microwave at home, but the realities of working a 9-5 job and the unforgiving English weather, mean that sometimes a warm lunch is just necessary. So unless your office has a hob, you will need a microwave to cook the noodles. King Soba offers a wide variety of inexpensive organic wheat-free and gluten-free buckwheat and brown rice noodles; they have unusual and fun varieties such as Sweet Potato & Buckwheat Noodles as well as Pumpkin & Ginger Brown Rice Noodles.

This is a very exciting addition to my repertoire of simple and delicious meals that can be made in under 10 minutes and will usually have your colleagues drooling over it. After the noodles have cooked, all you need to do is throw in all the fresh vegetables and season with the dressing, resulting in a warm superfood noodle salad with subtle Asian flavours. This is the perfect spring dish, as you've still got the warmth from the noodles with all the freshness and zing of a summer salad. Ever since I got back to London last week, I've noticed the days getting longer and the sun just seems a little bit brighter (when it's shining, of course). I know it's early March but it seems like spring is softly poking its head out from under the blanket of winter. So here you go, hope you enjoy the recipe for this delicious and moreish Warm Asian Superfood Noodle Salad as much as I do.

Warm Superfood Noodle Salad

Serves 1

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pack of buckwheat or brown rice noodles
1 small avocado (or 1/2 medium avocado)
handful of fresh spinach, rocket, kale or any soft greens
1/2 a red bell pepper (optional)
1/2 cucumber (optional)
2-3 dried Asian mushrooms
fresh coriander
mixed seeds
juice of quarter fresh lime or 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
1 tb of sesame oil
1 tb of olive oil
1 tb tamari
cashew chunks (optional)

Instructions:
1. Soak the Asian mushrooms in a mug of boiling water half an hour before you start doing anything else, this allows them to soak up the moisture and plump up nicely.

2. After half an hour, drain the water and slice the mushrooms thinly.

3. Place a portion of noodles in a rectangular tupper ware and cover with boiling water and microwave for 2 minutes or as per packet instructions (If you have some cruciferous vegetables that you prefer cooked such as kale or broccoli, then throw them in with the noodles to blanch them).

4. Whilst noodles are cooking, cube the avocado, red pepper and/or cucumber (or whatever you have that day).

5. Drain noodles but not completely, save a little water (this helps keep the noodles lubricated, perfect for a slippery salad). Place noodles in a bowl and mix avocado, red pepper, cucumber, spinach, chopped kale and sliced mushrooms.

6. Drizzle with olive oil, sesame oil, tamari, a squeeze of lime (if no lime, then apple cider vinegar adds a lovely touch of citrus), chilli flakes and sprinkle with mixed seeds (I had some cashew chunks so threw some in for extra crunch).

7. Garnish with fresh coriander.

8. Enjoy!