The foodie in me....

A couple of months ago, my aunt was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Her prognosis is good and doctors have assured us that her chances of a full recovery are very high. My grandfather passed away 3 years ago. He suffered from prostrate cancer. My nani passed away a few years before him. She died of stomach cancer.

Yup, I know all about family history and how significant it is when we talk about a disease as deadly as cancer. I am a foodie and I absolutely love eating. High metabolism ensured that I did not have to worry about putting on weight, and I got away with eating all kinds of unhealthy junk food. So high is my craze for oily, fatty food that not even the fear of acne in my teenage years could keep me away from all the oily, unhealthy stuff.

My aunt's diagnosis changed everything. Everyone in my family is scared. G (who is a doctor) freaked out and begged me to start eating healthy. Knowing my love for all things oily, it was G who suggested I try cooking food in olive oil. It will make food tastier and healthier, he promised. I have been addicted to olive oil ever since.

When I came across the The Del Monte Blogger Receipt Carnival,  I knew I HAD to take part as my favorite recipe uses most of products that Del Monte is famous for. This recipe gets a thumbs up from G every time I make it. Knowing how finicky he is about eating healthy, it assures me that the dish is very nutritious. And my taste buds vouch for its yumminess. I usually use mushrooms, but I didnt have them handy when I made this dish today.

Egg Noodles with Stir Fried Vegetables

Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves 2

Ingredients:

100 gm flat beans
1 Courgette
2 Capsicums
2 red onions - 1 finely chopped and 1 chopped into larger pieces
1 tomatoes finely chopped
2 tsp tomato chilli sauce
100 gm mushrooms*
A handful of coriander leaves*
1 tsp pumpkin seeds*
1 packet egg noodles/spaghetti
3-4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander-jeera powder
1 tsp soya sauce (optional)
A pinch of turmeric
A pinch of asafoetida
A pinch of oregano
A pinch of roasted sesame seeds*
Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Cut all the vegetables (except the flat beans) into small pieces.
• Boil all the veggies with a pinch of salt. This is how I ensure that my veggies retain a crunchy texture. 
• Grind tomato and the finely chopped onion into a coarse paste
• Boil the egg noodles as per the packet instructions

Method:

• In a low pan add 3 tsp olive oil. Add asafoetida, chilli powder, coriander powder, tumeric and saute for a minute.
• Add the onion and tomato paste and saute for around 5 - 8 minutes. I usually wait till the tomato loses its lumpiness and the paste stops sticking to the side of the pan. 
• Add tomato chilli sauce and soya sauce (optional) and mix well
• Add salt to taste.
• Add all the vegetables and mix well
• Add roasted sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds

To serve:

• Serve a helping of noodles in a bowl. Top it up with the veggies as shown in the picture. Sprinkle a pinch of oregano. Garnish with coriander leaves.

The best thing about this dish is that you can use any combination of vegetables in it. G loves pitted olives in his noodles while I prefer mine without them. I don't like the flat beans and add them only when G is around as he loves them. My friend makes this dish by adding eggs to the tomato and onion paste before adding the vegetables, while G once experimented with chicken as well.

It is a versatile dish which will please any palate. Healthy and tasty, perfect for the foodie in me :)

Ingredients marked with * were not used when I cooked this dish today. However, I have used them on countless other occasions and they always add an extra zing.