Cook A Feel Good Lunch, With Melissa Hemsley

Here is how to cook my Ginger Lime Green Noodles for a feel good lunch - leftovers excellent for tomorrow's lunch too!

I made it with asparagus, frozen peas, limp cavolo nero & celery this time but it's lovely with all veg. Sometimes I keep the greens raw when they're super fresh & when the sun's out but if it's a colder grey day, giving the veg a quick steam or stir fry is great too.

Ingredients:

• 4 bundles soba noodles/ noodles you like - also works with spaghetti
• 1/2 head cabbage / pak choy / kale, sliced
• 1 head broccoli / asparagus / green beans
• 4 handfuls of frozen peas, broad beans or edamame, or a mix
• 2 handfuls of fresh herbs like coriander / mint / basil
• 4 spring onions /chopped chives
• A handful of sesame seeds
• 2 handfuls of pumpkin seeds or toasted cashews or any nuts / seeds you like
• ½ large cucumber or fennel or celery, something crunchy) sliced 

Ginger Lime Dressing

• 1-2 inches ginger, I go for 2!
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 2 limes or 1 big lemon or 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar if you can’t get citrus
• 1 fat clove garlic, finely chopped
• Pinch chilli flakes / fresh chilli
• 2 - 3 tbsp tamari
• 2 tsp raw honey or maple syrup
• 2 tsp of toasted sesame oil or 2 tsp of miso if you have that
• Sea salt & pepper

Steps to Follow...

Finely grate or chop the ginger and garlic and whisk all the other dressing ingredients together or if you like, blitz them all together and season to taste.

Finely shred the greens and chop the broccoli, make sure you finely slice the stalk too.

Toast the nuts or seeds and sesame seeds in a dry frying pan for a few mins until golden & set aside.

In a medium saucepan, cook the noodles in plenty of boiling water (check label). Buckwheat noodles can sometimes get a bit stuck so use 2 forks at the beginning and a good sized pan with plenty of water to stop them getting clumpy. As soon as they are cooked, rinse well with cold water, drain and toss with a little oil

Meanwhile back to the first pan, steam or stir fry the broccoli/greens for 3 mins then add the frozen peas/edamame/broad beans for a final few minutes so that the greens are just tender & keep their bright green colour.

Then on a big serving platter/bowl, mix the noodles and veg together with most of the dressing, toss the herbs through, scatter over the nuts or seeds & serve the rest of the dressing on the side. Enjoy now as a warm salad or let it chill!

Discover more of Melissa's feel good recipes on her website here or over on her Instagram @melissa.hemsley.