From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite... Happy New Year to all who are celebrating today. I thought this would be a perfect time to share one of my favorite Asian noodle recipes with you. I originally found the recipe on the Recipe Goldmine site and I've put it to good use ever since. It is fast and simple and the noodles it makes are inexpensive and downright delicious. The cost of the dish makes it a perfect candidate to share with you on Frugal Foodie Friday. While the noodles are almost effortless to make, there are a few cautions I want to share with you. The first is a reminder regarding the heat generated by dried red pepper flakes. The original recipe called for 1-1/2 teaspoons of flakes, and while that is perfect for fire breathing dragons and many of my visitors, it is sufficient to cause those with more timid palates to pale and gasp for air. To be on the safe side, I decided to list the quantity of pepper flakes as a range and let you pick your own comfort level. My main caution regards the use of fresh versus dried noodles. Equivalent weights will not produce the same amount of pasta and while my conversion is not exact, it's close enough to give you great results. As a general rule of thumb, when a recipe calls for fresh noodles and you can't get your hands on them, substitute half that weight with a dried product and you will be fine. Follow package instructions for cooking as well, because they will vary by type and brand. I think you'll really like the stir fry sauce that is used to flavor the noodles. It is simple to make and will keep for up to a month in the refrigerator. I like it well enough to keep a supply of it on hand for other quick stir fries. Do try this simple noodle dish. While this version of the recipe is scaled to feed two people, quantities can be doubled to feed four or more. Here is how the garlic noodles are made.
