Longevity Noodles!!

In traditional Chinese culture, the elderly are revered and there is a well-known saying: "Jia you yi lao, ru you yi bao" (loosely translated: Having an elderly person in the home is the same as having a treasure!)

So I was really honoured and privileged to be able to join in the birthday festivities for Mrs Dixon.

First a picture of the birthday girl....


Guess her age??

She stays independently and has a terrific memory...when you ask her for a recipe, she can just give it to you on the spot...and she can add up sums faster than me...(i m not that slow...but man, she is FAST!!)

75?? 81?? 90???

Happy Birthday Mrs Dixon!


See the candles??? NINTY FIVE. Really.

She says her secret to her good health is a happy heart... :)

and to wish her many more good years to come, I made some longevity noodles... followed a recipe initially but it turned out a bit bland which explains the mix-mash of sauces in the seasoning..



Ingredients:

400g dried somen
6 tbs oil (yes, quite a lot but noodle dishes tend to stick n break easily without sufficient oil)
2- 3 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
4 slices ginger
200g snow peas, sliced
250g mung bean sprouts
1 can shiitake mushrooms
1 can 225g water chestnuts, sliced
1/3 cup coriander (around 2 bunches)
2 eggs, hard boiled and cubed

seasoning: (the tricky part cos it wasn't my pantry and i was frantically just using anything i could find!!!)

2 tbs light soy sauce
2 tbs vegetarian stir fry sauce
2 tbs oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
3 tbs honey
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 cup water (use stock if available)

-all mixed together

method:

1. Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.
2. Heat up oil in wok until shimmering. Add shallots and fry till light golden. Fish out and set aside.
3. Add garlic, ginger and stir fry til fragrant. (around 2-3 mins.)
4. Add snow peas and fry til colour brightens up. Add mung beans, mushrooms and chestnuts and fry for around 2-3 mins.
5. Add noodles, followed by seasoning and make sure that seasoning coats noodles evenly.
6. Top with coriander, shallots and eggs. Serve hot.

Mrs Dixon- Happy Birthday once again and may all your wishes come true!!