Creole Crab Noodles – Mardi Gras Fusion

I'm calling this Creole crab noodles recipe an "experiment," but it didn't really feel like one, since I was sure it was going to come out really well, which it did. Crab, and its old friends, the Holy Trinity, are a classic combo, and so it was no surprise they worked so well in an Asian-style, rice noodle dish.

If you can get fresh crab meat, by all means use that, but if not, pretty much every large grocery chain carries pasteurized crab in 8-ounce plastic tubs, which works perfectly fine for this. And if shellfish isn't your thing, I've got some great news. This exact same dish can be made with literally any other other meat and/or vegetable.

You can also do this with your favorite pasta, but like I said in the video, there are few foods as addictive, and fun to eat as rice noodles, so I'd advise against it. Besides, you can finally have that gluten-free friend of yours over to make up for all those pizza-night invites. So, whether you make this for Mardi Gras or not, I really do hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large portions:

• 8 ounces crab meat
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup finely diced green onions, plus more for garnish
• 1/3 cup finely diced celery
• 1/3 cup finely diced hot and/or sweet peppers
• 8 ounces rice noodles, soaked, drained
• For the sauce:
• 3 cloves crushed garlic
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne