Family cooking can be hard if you have small picky eaters.  In my case, I am lucky as my two little munchkins are not so fussy and easy to cook for.  I like to make kid friendly meals that can be adjusted for mummy and daddy.

This quick meal is perfect.  It has noodles and beef, which happens to be favourites of my children. Mind you, though, my 2year old son, call all meat he eats chicken.  For the adults, I easily add chilli oil and Szechuan pepper to spice it up a little. The vegetables are served on the side and added to the noodles at the table.

My family loved this meal and I will definitely cook this for them again.

Steaks:

• 2x 250g rib eye steaks
• 1 tsp Szechuan pepper, pounded
• Chinese five spice
• 2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated.
• 1/2 a red chilli, grated
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 lime

Dan Dan Noodles:

• 6 tbs chilli oil (see my recipe here)
• 4 tbs soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 200g bean sprouts
• 8 spring onions, 4 finely chopped and 4 cut into batons
• 400g dried egg noodles
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1/2 a lemon

Greens:

• 150g snow peas
• 2 bok choys
• 1 bunch broccolini
• 1 tbs black bean sauce
• 1/2 lemon

Steak:

Place the  steak onto a board and sprinkle with szechuan pepper, Chinese 5 spice and salt.  Drizzle the meat with olive oil and rub all the spices well into the meat.

Cook the steaks on a hot griddle pan for a couple of minutes on both sides (for medium rare)

On a clean wooden board, drizzle with olive oil. When the steaks are ready, place on the board. Sprinkle with the chilli, ginger and garlic.  Squeeze over the lime juice and let rest for 10 minutes

Slice the steaks into strips and toss in the chilli, ginger and garlic to soak up all the flavour and juices.

Dan dan noodles:

In 4 serving bowls, place 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and a little of the crushed garlic and spring onions.  For the adults, add a little of the chilli oil and Szechuan pepper.  Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice into the bowls.

Place the bean sprouts and the spring onions batons in a bowl and set aside.

Cook the egg noodles in boiling water, as instructed on the packet.  Crumble the beef stock cube into the water.  When cooked divide among the bowls.

Greens:

In a pot of  salted boiling water, cook the snow peas, broccolini and bok choy for a couple of minutes.

On a serving platter, spread the black bean sauce and squeeze the lemon juice over then drizzle with some olive oil. When the greens are cooked, place them on the dressed platter and drizzle more olive oil on top. When ready to eat, toss the vegetables into the dressing.

Bon Appetite,

Cherrie