Fideo

Wotchers!

In the colder months, I like to make a huge vat of Bolognese sauce in my preserving pan and then portion and freeze it for a quick supper to have on hand at short notice or when I’m just not in the mood to cook of an evening. A whole day of chopping and sautéing and simmering and stirring ends up as six or seven boxes that can be whisked from the freezer and served up in less than thirty minutes.

In the summer, however, it’s just all a bit heavy, quite apart from not wanting to spend a whole day in a hot kitchen, so I have for you a wonderful dish that combines the essence of a Bolognese supper with the quick preparation time ideal for warmer times. Bonus: you don’t even have to have it on the stove most of the time for it to cook.

The dish is called Fideo and originates in Mexico. The full name is generally “Fideo con carne”, but since I’ve taken a few liberties with this recipe, I’m opting for the shorter name as it’s technically slightly vague, as is my version. This dish serves as a main meal and its method of preparation reminds me of a favourite recipe here on the blog called Noodles and Rice, except in this case the rice is replaced with minced meat/TVP/Quorn  of your choice. During cooking, the lighter weight noodles settle on top of the pan and, together with the random chunks of tomato, make a very attractive picture when you remove the lid at the end.

Aside from the ease and speed of preparation, it can also easily be customised. As well as changing the protein mentioned above, varying the spices can steer it in the direction of an Italian, Middle Eastern or even Indian pasta/noodle dish. Additionally, with more liquid, it can be a eaten as a robust soup. It keeps and reheats well, so I can heartily recommend making more than you need and having some in the fridge for an even quicker meal.

For the noodles, you can break up regular egg noodles, but I’ve taken to using these Polish ones I found in the (orange) supermarket International Foods aisle, which are a bargain at just £1 per 250g pack.

Fideo

This recipe needs a frying pan with a lid. If you don’t have such an item you can MacGuyver a very effective substitute just with some tin foil lid over the pan and the edges scrunched around the rim.

150g egg noodles/vermicelli
2tbs vegetable oil
1 onion chopped finely
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
500g beef/lamb/Quorn mince or TVP.
1tbs ground cumin
1tsp red pepper flakes
2-3tbs sriracha hot sauce (optional)
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 stock cube/tbs bouillon to match your protein flavour
salt and pepper to taste

• Heat the oil in a pan and toast the noodles until browned. They don’t all have to be dark brown, just have a general air of toastiness. Remove from pan and set aside.
• Add the onion to the pan and cook until softened and starting to turn golden.
• Add the garlic and your protein of choice and cook until well browned.
• Sprinkle in the spices and seasoning and stir until fragrant.
• Pour in the tomatoes, then fill the tin with water and pour that in as well.
• Add the stock cube/bouillon and the noodles, and stir to combine.
• Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to the minimum. Let the Fideo sit quietly for about 20 minutes while the liquid is absorbed. You can also remove from the heat altogether, and it will still be fine.
• At the end of 20 minutes, remove the lid and assess whether you’re happy with the level of moisture in the dish. We prefer little to no excess moisture, so I will if need be, allow it to sit uncovered on a medium heat, until the excess has evaporated.
• Stir to combine if liked, although I like to preserve the smoothness of the appearance in the pan, and serve it as is on a heat pad on the table..
• Accompany with vegetables or salad.