Pork, scallop and asparagus stirfry

Thanks to my father-in-law, I've discovered a new ingredient - mung bean noodles. Also called cellophane noodles, mung bean threads or glass noodles, these noodles maintain their shape once cooked, are chewy and don't go mushy like rice noodles.

These noodles don't have any real flavour, so it's best to serve them with something tasty like this pork, scallop and asparagus stirfry.

Mung bean noodles take about 10 minutes to cook and are gluten free, if gluten is a problem for you. Use them in place of rice or pasta.

What you'll need

Serves 4

400g pork fillet, thinly sliced into strips
1 cup frozen scallop meat, without the row
1 bunch green asparagus, with the woody stems removed and roughly chopped
1 cup cashew nuts, finely chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
1 red chilli, finely chopped
Juice and zest of one lime
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 x 200g packet dried mung bean noodles

What to do

Gather all your ingredients together and have everything ready - chop the garlic, ginger and chilli, slice the meat, chop the nuts etc.

Cook the noodles in boiling water for 5 - 10 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.

Heat a little oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. When hot, place half of the meat in and cook, stirring constantly. When the meat is brown all over, remove and set aside in a bowl.  Heat a little more oil, and once hot, add the rest of the meat, cooking as above. Once brown, remove to the bowl. Add the scallops and cook for 5 minutes until a little browned. Remove the same bowl as the meat.

Reduce the heat to medium. Now wipe out the pan with some paper towel to clean it. Add a teaspoon of oil. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the asparagus, tomatoes and cashews to the pan and stir. Place the lid on the pan and steam the asparagus for about 2 minutes until its colour changes to bright green. Add the meat and scallops back to the pan. Add the sauces and lime juice/zest. Mix everything well to combine the flavours.

Place some noodles on a plate, and top with your desired amount of stirfry, not forgetting to scoop up the pan juices to pour over the top. Serve with extra chilli and lime if you like.