Noodle Cake Food

NICOISE NOODLE CAKE

Steps:

• Cover the noodles with hot tap water in a large bowl and soak, flipping once, for 7 minutes; they should pull apart without breaking. Drain in a strainer and shake to dry; pat with towels if needed. Return to the bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt.
• Add the chard and parsley to the bowl; toss, pulling apart the noodles. In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste; add to the noodles and toss to coat.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 9-inch skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add the noodle mixture and press down with a spatula; cover and cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 8 minutes. Place a large plate over the pan; invert the cake onto the plate. Slide the cake back into the pan, cover and cook until golden on the other side, 5 to 10 minutes. Invert onto a plate, sprinkle with salt and cut into wedges.

EASTER EGG NEST CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a large metal mixing bowl (about 10 1/2 inches in diameter) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• Combine the cake mix, eggs, oil and 1/2 cup water in a large bowl. (The water and oil is less than what the box instructions call for.) Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed until fully combined, about 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared bowl and bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes in the bowl, then remove from the bowl and let cool completely on a cooling rack, about 2 hours.
• For the nest: Meanwhile, spray the same bowl you used to bake the cake in with nonstick cooking spray.
• Melt the butter and marshmallows together in a large pot over low heat, stirring frequently. Add the white chocolate and cinnamon and stir until fully combined. Add the brown and yellow food coloring and mix until blended. Add the chow mein noodles and mix until all the noodles are coated with the marshmallow mixture. Transfer the mixture to the prepared bowl and quickly press into the bowl to form a nest shape. If your hands start to stick, spray them with cooking spray (Caution: the mixture is hot, but you have to work quickly or it will harden; you can wear gloves for this step if necessary). Let cool about 2 hours.
• Remove the nest from the bowl and line the bowl with plastic wrap, letting some plastic wrap hang over the edge of the bowl. Place the nest back in the bowl, over the plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• For the eggs: Place the white chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. (Do not overheat.) Divide the melted chocolate into 2 bowls. Whisk 6 drops blue food coloring and 5 drops green food coloring into one bowl until a robin's egg blue color is created.
• Gently push the pointed end of a skewer into the bottom of each chocolate egg, slightly off-center (do not hit the seam of the egg, or the egg will split along the seam). Gently dip the egg into the blue chocolate and turn until the egg is evenly coated. Lift the egg out of the blue chocolate and hold above the bowl to allow excess to drip off. Push the flat end of the skewer into a foam block or container of sugar or salt to allow the egg to dry undisturbed. Repeat this process to dip 4 more eggs into the blue chocolate. Dip the remaining 5 eggs in the white chocolate in the same manner. (If at any point the melted chocolate becomes too thick, microwave for 30 seconds more to loosen.) Set the eggs aside to harden for 1 hour.
• Remove the eggs from the skewers and place on a paper towel-lined tray.
• Combine 4 drops green food coloring and 4 drops blue coloring with 1 tablespoon water in a small spray bottle. Lightly spritz the green mixture onto the eggs in a speckled pattern. Allow the eggs to dry again for 1 hour.
• For decorating: Spread 1 can of the cream cheese frosting into the nest, leaving the outer border unfrosted.
• Slice 1 1/2 to 2 inches off of the flat side of the cake so that it will fit well inside the nest. Using a spoon, remove some cake to hollow out a depression in the top (the flat side) of the cake, leaving a 2-inch border intact along the outer edge of the cake.
• Place the cake hollowed-side up into the frosted nest. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large tip with the remaining cream cheese frosting and frost the top of the cake; spread evenly using an offset spatula or a spoon. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the top of the cake, making sure to coat completely. If not using immediately, refrigerate. (Let the refrigerated cake come to room temperature for 1 hour before serving.)
• Using the excess plastic wrap, pull the nest cake out of the bowl and place on a cake stand or platter. Arrange the eggs in the nest, then decorate with mint sprigs and edible flowers, and serve.

NOODLE CAKE

Steps:

• In an 8-inch skillet set over moderate heat, heat the butter and oil until hot. Add the scallion and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add the noodles, salt and pepper to taste and pat into an even layer. Let cook over moderate heat for a few minutes or until lightly golden on the bottom. Turn and cook until golden on the bottom. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with the parsley.

FRIED NOODLE CAKE

Steps:

• Cook the noodles according to packet instructions.
• Heat the oil in a pan and fry the spring onions for 2-3 minutes until starting to soften.
• Add the noodles, flatten out and fry for 1-2 minutes until starting to brown.
• Turn, drizzle with lemon juice and soy sauce and cook for a further minute. If your noodle cake looks like it might not withstand a flipping pop it under a hot grill instead.

HOISIN BEEF WITH CRISPY NOODLE CAKE

Steps:

• In a shallow dish, coat the steak with the hoisin sauce and some black pepper. Leave to marinate while you make the noodle cake.
• Mix all the ingredients (apart from the oil) for the noodle cake with some black pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Heat half the oil in a medium-sized, non-stick frying pan (or omelette pan). Tip in the eggy mixture and cook over a medium heat for about 3-4 mins until golden. Turn over - the easiest way is to put a flat plate on top of the frying pan - invert to release the cake, then slide back in. Cook for another 3-4 mins, then slide out and keep warm in a low oven while you cook the steak.
• Give the pan a quick wipe and heat the rest of the oil. Cook the steak for about 2-3 mins each side (depending on the thickness of your steak) for medium-rare, or longer for well done. Rest for a couple of mins, then serve in slices, scattered with the mint and radish, with the noodle cake.