TGIF: Spice Up Your Weekend With Some Cuisine a La Noodles

Its the easiest meal to make, takes no time at all to prepare and best of all, it can be made in so many different exciting ways depending on how adventurous you are with food.

Chances are if you're reading this, you've most probably had a meal of noodles at one point or the other, chances also are that if you have noodles regularly, then you most likely have your own style of making it. But on the off-chance that you're one of those people who eat their noodles plain and without any extra ingredients asides the spices that comes with the noodles, then please allow us introduce you to a world where spices and additives reigns supreme.

The Usual Suspects: arguably the commonest ingredients in spicing up noodles, onions and pepper can quickly transform noodles from plain to hot and spicy. Tomatoes can also be added for that extra pizzazz. Slice some onions, tomato and pepper to your noodles as it boils and for good measure, throw in some curry and thyme as well and watch your noodles evolve into a full-fledged meal.

Oil: be it palm oil, groundnut oil or butter, oil gives noodles a distinct flavour. It works in two ways; either you add oil to your noodles as it boils, or you stir fry. In the case of stir frying, first of all boil your noodles for a few minutes till its to your liking (either hard, medium or soft), then sieve out the water. Heat up some onions and pepper in the oil of your choice (either palm oil, vegetable oil or butter) and transfer your already sieved noodles into the frying pan stirring continuously while you add up the noodles spice and any other spices you may like such as curry and thyme.

The Sea Food formula: dried fish, crayfish and shrimps can also transform your noodles from plain ol' noodles to a hearty meal. Stir fry your noodles with palm oil and crayfish or groundnut oil/butter with shrimps and a helping of garlic and cameroonian pepper for that extra spicy taste. Do I hear you say hello Chinese?

The Meat Variation: for the meat lovers, suya and diced chicken can be added to your noodles for that super meaty taste.

Vegetarian noodles: add some burst of colour and spice to your noodles with vegetables like carrot, lettuce, cabbage, scent leaf (nchu anwu in Igbo and Efirin in Yoruba), green pepper, spring onions and green peas to your noodles, not forgetting your usual spices and you'll never have your noodles plain again.

Canned food: mix things up by adding either sardines, corned beef, sweet corn and baked beans to your noodles.

Cheese: probably the least popular option on the list, cheese is another great ingredient to shake up your noodles. Stir fry your noodles in cheese with your spices in place and just before you take the noodles down from the fire, grate some extra cheese on top for that extra juicy effect.

So there you have it folks, several noodles recipes to try over the weekend. Remember, you can either try one method or mix it all up together, it all depends on how adventurous you are. Be sure to let us know how it goes and if you enjoyed it. Meanwhile, do you have a special way of making noodles that wasn't listed? Share with us.

Have a great weekend and bon apetit!