I don’t always think that I have lots to do but the truth is I do.  It’s probably a  coping mechanism but whatever it is my brain is doing to me, it helps to make the mountain of chores a manageable molehill. And so the last couple of days, more accurately, weeks, I have found myself getting busier and busier and by the time I find some time to update my blog, I am either too tired or it’s just too late to be updating my blog. So today I made a pact with myself. I had to stay focused and complete the list of chores for the day by tea time and I’ll reward myself with time to get this blog moving again. I wonder how others do it.

Here’s an easy one meal dish which is enjoyed by the family. The glass noodles make a simple dish look fabulous and gives the mouth an easy time - not much to chew. They just slide down the throat and probably land with a thump in the stomach! If you’re into human anatomy, you’ll probably balk at this but that’s how I feel when I’m almost done with the meal and savoring the last morsels of this slippery, colorful mouth-watering dish. Ahhhh….some dishes just have that effect of creating an aura of absolute bliss when all that surrounds you is impossible mayhem.

Ingredients:

3 bunches of glass noodles - soaked in hot water until 3/4 soft and translucent
8 cloves garlic - chopped fine
2 - 3 pieces boneless chicken thighs - sliced into 2 inch strips
12 prawns
3 cups cabbage - shredded
10 young corn - cut into thirds
1 small carrot - sliced
3 cups chicken stock
white pepper - to taste
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
3 tbsp oil

Method:

1. In a wok/pot, heat oil and fry garlic until fragrant and brown.
2. Add the chicken slices, carrots and corn. Stir until the chicken browns.
   

   [There should be a pics for the first 2 steps but I forgot all about the camera till I hit Step 3. It happens. And I'm sure it won't take too much of your imagination to know how step 1 and 2 look like. :P]

3. Add the prawn and oyster sauce. Stir and fry until the prawn starts to almost turn pink but not completely.



4. Add the chicken stock and white pepper. Bring to boil. The prawn and chicken pieces should be cooked by now.

Don’t worry if it looks like there’s too much soup. The noodles will work their magic when they start soaking it up



5. Add cabbage and noodles. Stir and let the noodles cook for a few minutes until it easily breaks when cut.



6. In a small bowl, mix a little of the gravy from the noodle with cornstarch and mix well. Then pour the cornstarch mixture into the noodle. The gravy should thicken slightly. Remove from heat.



7. Serve hot.
   Tips:
   • Don’t soak the noodles for too long. You don’t want the noodles to be soggy when you add it into the pot/wok.
   • You can also crack an egg into the hot gravy to thicken instead of using cornstarch.
   • When buying glass noodles, it’s easy to get these confused with rice vermicelli (soo hoon) and rice sticks (bee hoon). Look at the ingredients. It should be made from mung bean flour, starch and water. Also look at the noodle strands. They should be thicker.