This one-pot dish is a fast family favourite, plus easy on the wallet using chicken thigh meat and ramen noodles.
Flank steak absorbs intense flavours from this marinade. Wear rubber gloves while handling chilies.
Japanese udon noodles, which cook in a matter of minutes, soak up all of the slightly spicy umami-rich sauce in this stir-fry. Cubes of golden tofu make the meat-free supper substantial. You can also use cubed chicken or pork. Cost: $2/serving
A bright, citrusy sauce and tender veggies make this salmon and noodle salad a fresh-tasting dinner option. Marmalade or jam with minimal added sugar works best for this dish, so look for a spread sweetened with fruit juice only.?
Chef Tawfik Shehata, of Vertical Restaurant in Toronto, shares this Egyptian-style falafel, which uses fava beans instead of chickpeas. It's one he enjoyed throughout his childhood.
This Chinese-style stew is wonderful served over noodles or rice. If you wish, you can add reconstituted dried shiitake mushrooms and use the soaking liquid to replace the same amount of water in the recipe. You also can make this stew with any game meat.
This one-dish meal comes together quickly, so be sure to have all of the prep finished before you start cooking. If you don't like spice, omit the chili garlic paste, or serve it as a condiment on the side. You can easily double this to make four servings.
Available in 400 g packages, cooked thick yellow miki noodles are ready to use – and the perfect amount for two. If you can't find them, use Shanghai-style noodles instead (see Tip), but you'll only need half the package.
The quintessential Chinese dipping sauce, hoisin sauce is all you need to transform everyday meatballs into sticky, glazed nuggets of goodness. If you find your lettuce cups too crowded to eat neatly, just tear off a few more lettuce leaves and fill them with fewer meatballs. If you don't have ground pork, any ground meat will do.
Cost: $2.30/serving
