Noodles with Eggs and Peanut-Chili Oil (or Salsa!)

When I was planning this post I realized I was doing three peanut featuring recipes in a row, and then veggie paparazzo reminded me that many people can't handle peanuts. So for the peanut avoiding, I am presenting an equally tasty alternative topping - salsa. If you have salsa made or in a jar, this takes five minutes to prepare.

Frugal Cuisine is nearly a year old and, in reading my previous posts for the label updates I was a little embarassed to see the chili oil recipe - it is hot, but has nowhere near the complexity of bought Asian chili oils. So ignore the advice in that post and go out and buy some. The kind I am using is dark red with plenty of chilies, peanuts, the occasional preserved black bean, and other great stuff in it.

This recipe also features the Wonder Bread of the noodle world - flat white Chinese wheat noodles. I am using the carbonara-like technique of stirring an egg into just cooked noodles to make a sauce, and then topping them with something more flavourful.

The salsa for the peanut free option is minced onion, tomato, and hot green pepper with salt and lemon juice. I'm not giving amounts since it is strictly taste as you go. We have really great grape tomatoes here, sold in the fruit section, so I used those for the salsa.

Boil flat white noodles or linguine in a lot of salted water until nearly tender, then drain. ( I use a portion of noodles about one quarter in diameter per person.) Stir one egg per person and continue stirring over lowered heat until the egg cooks into a thick sauce. (Keep the eggs in motion as they heat - you don't want the protein to cook into chunks.) Turn noodles into a plate or bowl and top with chili oil or salsa. Mix up and eat.