Our dog Arloe is officially a little lady. She’s just entered her first heat cycle and wow, it’s been … how do I put this…..an education?!

I will spare you the details! This does of course mean we now have three teenagers in the house. Between Chloe, Belle and Arloe, we are now at max capacity. God bless the Irishman who lives in fear on a daily basis. The kids (and the puppy) are actually amazing but living with five females (if you count me and the cat) has got to be somewhat challenging. He can mainly be found outside in the garden, occasionally tempted in by nourishing dinners and a beer.

With a holiday coming up, I’ve been working on making healthy dinners as budget-friendly as possible. Our grocery cost has been sky-high. Plus we’re trying to keep things simple too. So the fewer separate ingredients and the quicker the prep, the better!

This noodle bowl is a really easy option for nights when you have a 30-minute time frame for getting dinner on the table. I often find that by the time I have taken a breath after work and walked the dog, it’s going on 7pm. If I only start dinner then, we’re often eating at 8.30pm … I’m a bit of a slow cook!

This one is genuinely quick, easy and budget-friendly too. I buy a rotisserie chicken on the way home (I like the British ones from Miles deli which are about $25 and make at least four meals), allow it cool while I walk the dog and then shred it when I get in. The shredding of the chicken is actually a great job for a partner or teen … in fact, little hands might like getting in there too, although the under-tens might need some supervision.

Although cabbage seems like a deeply unsexy vegetable, it’s relatively cheap, goes a long way, is actually tasty when cooked with lots of seasonings and spices – and seems to blend in so well with the noodles that I get no complaints from the family.

When it comes to the seasonings, look in your store cupboard to see what you can conjure up. I used some soy sauce (I actually used tamari, the gluten-free version), salt and pepper, a touch of honey and a little apple cider vinegar. You could try lemon juice, Italian herbs and garlic, or a smoked paprika/Cajun spice combo. Lots of options!

Of course using store cupboard items stretches this beyond five ingredients, but I think it’s acceptable to assume that most people have some items hanging around their pantry. The veggies and herbs are flexible here, feel free to make switches and use what you have. Enjoy!

PS I do generally prefer to use less refined carbs, but combining rice noodles with the cabbage and a hefty dose of protein (the chicken) helps to lower the glycemic index of the overall dish. For even more impact, have a small salad first – it doesn’t have to be fancy, just some romaine with your favourite dressing would work. All that fibre further slows down the sugar release from the carbs you eat (the noodles) resulting in a nice steady energy release and less chance of a sugar spike. Good news all round!

Five-ingredient budget noodle bowl (serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 package super thin rice noodles (I used Kame rice sticks vermicelli)

½ medium cabbage (green, red, savoy)

1 large or two small carrots

½ rotisserie roast chicken (or 2 cooked chicken breasts)

2 tbsps chives (fresh), chopped

Store cupboard items: olive oil or coconut oil (extra virgin), tamari sauce, apple cider vinegar, honey/maple, salt/pepper, herbs/spices.

Method:

1, Place the noodles in a large metal bowl (or saucepan if you don’t have a bowl) and cover with boiling water. Put a lid or plate on top to seal in the heat. Allow the noodles to sit in the hot water for ten minutes.

2, Meanwhile, slice the cabbage into thin ribbons. Scrub the carrot and then use a peeler to strip the entire carrot into thin ribbons.

3, Place the cabbage and carrots in a large non-stick pan with 1 tbsp of the oil, some salt/pepper and any other herbs or spices you like. I added tamari soy sauce and a little apple cider vinegar to mine, as well as a dash of honey. Keep the heat on low, completely cover with a lid and allow the veggies to “sweat” and soften. Lift the lid to stir occasionally. A little light sauce will collect as the veggies sweat, which is good!

4, Strip your rotisserie chicken and pull apart into bite-sized pieces and set aside two servings. Store the rest in an airtight container in the fridge for use the next day.

5, Once the veggies are nice and tender, add in the chicken and toss. Taste the veggies and add any more seasoning/tamari/apple cider vinegar/honey to taste. Allow to heat through.

6, Drain the noodles well and then add two large handfuls to the veggies and chicken. Toss together well so that the veggies and chicken are evenly distributed and the noodles are coated in seasonings/light sauce.

7, Serve in big bowls and scatter with the chives which adds a delightful pop of green.

Catherine Burns is a fully qualified clinical nutritionist. She can be contacted at 291-4725, clinicalnutrition@gmail.com, Facebook or Instagram