A Pot of Versatile Veggies - Refrigerator Remnants


I know it’s been awhile since I’ve posted a new recipe.  Between making sure I provided a few posts with helpful tips and holiday entertaining, and focusing on fulfilling orders from my customers, I let a period pass without dedicating time to share recipes. Although those may be some reasons, truth be told, the more obvious one is that without our usual entertaining schedule, I’ve been less motivated to experiment and haven’t had the need to invent new dishes to serve guests.  That part makes me a bit sad. Ok, a lot sad.

Even though we haven’t been entertaining doesn’t mean I haven’t been cooking.  On the contrary, I’ve actually been cooking up a storm, doing more than ever since I starting providing weekly meal service to select customers in my local area, plus baked goods via shipping.  Plus, I’ve had some catering opportunities pop up as well.  So cooking has been firing up my kitchen, it just didn’t feel like there was anything to blog about.

Or so I thought. As life often does, it shines a light on a topic and then energy is sent forth which appears in full bloom. Here’s a clear example of what I’m talking about. Did you ever think about a friend and then suddenly that friend calls you? It’s like sending out a smoke signal, and you get a return response. That energy swirls around us constantly. It happened just like that to me recently. I had been talking to three friends about the fact that I have not blogged about a recipe in quite some time, and expressed my mixed emotions about it. So, imagine my surprise and thrill when I got the spark to create again. That particular day while I was doing my usual refrigerator ‘cleanse and see what’s still viable’ exercise, I felt a sudden reminiscent pang of my old something from nothing style.  It dawned on me that I have been creating dishes for JuanCarlos and myself all along but just hadn’t been focused on photographing, documenting and writing about them.  When I looked at this batch of veggies that needed some love and attention, I thought this could be worth sharing if nothing else but to motivate you to clean out your fridge. Admittedly, this recipe is not earth shattering. In fact, it’s quite basic. But it’s significance is greater than the recipe itself. One, it motivated me to photograph and document again. And two, hopefully it will inspire you to go through your fridge and figure out what to do with your miscellaneous food items. I should create an ongoing series entitled: Refrigerator Remnants.  You see, inspiration is everywhere.

Veg.Setup.jpg

Fennel, Celery, Rainbow Chard, Garlic, Onions, Carrots. The absolute basics.

 

Basically, this process is nothing more than pulling out all those unused items in your fridge that are at their last hope for use, and then coming up with a plan on how they all play together.  As I mentioned, this ‘recipe’ isn’t rocket science.  It’s actual a pumped up mire poix or soup base but without the liquid.  But it is hearty, tasty, versatile, and most of all met the requirements of using items that might have ended up in the trash a few days from now. 

This pot of veggies can be used as a side dish to any protein: meat, chicken, fish, beans or tofu.  It can be a main with a heaping helping of rice or couscous or even piled on top of a baked potato.  Or can even be part of a taco filling or quesadilla.  I’m sure there are plenty of other ways to serve up this veggie packed plate. Feel free to use any of my suggestions but I’ll let you figure out how you want to serve them up.  For now, I encourage you to go through the exercise of rummaging through to find your Refrigerator Remnant Recipe. Remember, these were the items and amounts that I had in my fridge. The goal here is to inspire you to create with whatever you have, and balance the flavors with the amounts you have. For instance, even though I had a ton of celery, the fennel was what was most pronounced in the combo below.

Here’s mine:

Ingredients

2 med onions (approx. 2.5 c )
4 lg carrots (approx. 3.5 c)
4 c celery
3c fennel
2 garlic cloves
12c red Swiss chard
Olive oil, salt & pepper

Instructions

  1. Cut all the vegetables into large chunks.

Chopped.Veg.jpg

As I said, a pumped up mire poix.

2. Cut and discard the ends/toughest part of the Swiss Chard. Then cut the remaining ribs out and chop them into smaller pieces..

3. Cut the leafy part of the Swiss Chard into strips.

4. Pour oil, salt and pepper into the pot to heat up then add all the vegetables except the leafy parts of the chard. Add whatever spice combo you desire. See below of different combos to try.

Raw.Veg.pot.jpg

5. Cook for 20-25 minutes, until tender but still al dente. You don’t want these to cook down so much that they become mush. You want a tooth bite to them.

6. Add Swiss Chard leafy parts, cover and cook over low flame for 5-8. minutes until wilted.

 

I didn’t add any additional spices since I made such a big batch I didn’t want to commit to one spice profile. I figured I would enhance it each time I warmed it up. This worked out fine as the anise from the fennel really flavored the dish to the point of not needing anything else.  But this is one of those dishes where anything goes.  Make it your own.  Here are some spice combos to try.

Italian Flavor: Dry Thyme | Oregano | Red Pepper Flakes | Cannellini Beans

Indian Flavor: Turmeric | Cumin | Cinnamon | Cloves | Curry | Coconut Milk

Middle Eastern: Cumin Seeds | Fennel Seeds | Sumac | Cardamom | Chick Peas

French: Herbs de Provence | Tarragon | Chives | Chervil

Spanish: Saffron | Pimentón de la Vera/Paprika | Cayenne Pepper

Mexican: Cilantro | Chili Pepper | Cumin | Allspice | Coriander

And here is how I served it up.

I had leftover ginger/red onion paella rice so I shaped it into a large patty and fried it up.  Then topped it with veggies.  For JC I added the leftover chicken thigh he had from the night before.  I know, I know, nothing earth shattering here, but I know I have some viewers who get overwhelmed with trying to figure out what to do.  This is just one way of culling everything together.

 

Leftover ginger/red onion paella rice. Perfect for making fried rice patties.

Note about the rice patty. Since this was leftover paella rice that had been previously sautéed with oil, ginger and red onion it had a natural stickiness to it that allowed it to hold the shape without any binder. If you only have long grain rice then you will need to add a binder of egg and flour in order to hold the patty together.

Why make one when you can make two. This fried rice patties are so delicious.

Use a cast iron pan with oil and high heat to get a crispy exterior.

Golden brown perfection.

Use the same ring for the veggie mix placement makes a nice, neat presentation.

The bigger chunks make this a more hearty side dish.

Using the same ring mold that you used to make the rice patties, place on top and fill with the veggie mixture, and pack tight.

I added chick peas to my mixture to add protein.









Food Delivery Resources - Help at Your Doorstep

FrontDoorDeliveryBoxes.jpg

I know my most recent posts keep making reference to either the lock down scenario or pandemic, but as we continue to deal with this increasingly concerning worldwide health issue, we must take the necessary precautions. In the early months of the pandemic we were all being creative in the ways we went about our daily lives, and feeding ourselves. Some of the precautions and restrictions eased up, while others remained. Then restrictions were put back in place, so I thought I would share some of the resources we have been using.

At the onset, JuanCarlos and I heavily relied on all our food supplies to be delivered to us from various sources. Some services we have moved on from, while others we have found worthy to continue. As we move into the winter months, more restrictions and less motivated to brave the cold weather, here are our top choices.

Our bulk items like onions, potatoes, pantry items and paper goods, and of course my supply for 2StirwithLove products come from my wholesale source Restaurant Depot. This being a wholesale warehouse means products come in huge quantities so we have been careful with what we order. That said, I blow through 10 pounds of onions lickety split. For the first several months, I ordered online, and had them delivered.

As the situation in NY improved over the summer I went and shopped myself, finding the least crowded times to visit. Now I am back to having my orders delivered. There is a delivery fee but it is well worth it for the convenience and safety. Restaurant Depot is mainly for food industry owners only, however, in some areas they offer one day passes for the general public to shop. So you might want to see if a few neighbors have a need and you can split, say 10 pounds of potatoes or 20 pounds of carrots. Check your local warehouse.

For organic produce, we started out by receiving a weekly “surprise” box from Misfits. Surprise, because we never knew what would be in the box, so we would cook with whatever we got. Which was no big deal for me as that is my style, Something from Nothin, use what you have. However, I must admit that I was slightly less impressed with this service. I thought we would be receiving a nice mix of seasonal items. Instead we seemed to get the same produce each week. We discontinued this service and have been going to our local farmer’s market or organic shop for the items we need.

Another organic produce delivery option to consider, but one that I can’t personally attest to yet is:

Imperfect Foods They pledge to eliminate food waste but using small to medium sized farmers. The plus with this service is that is seems that you can customize your box to exactly what you want for the price you want. I just signed up for this service and will report back.

For proteins, we go to several sources.

We use Butcher Box for grass fed meat and poultry . We were first put on a waiting list, but it didn’t take long. JuanCarlos is thrilled with the quality. These comes frozen and vacuumed sealed in manageable portions which makes it convenient for defrosting and making meals for smaller families.

ButcherBoxMeats.jpg

Salmon, cod and halibut and some other fish are delivered freshly frozen from Wild Alaskan. These are all wild caught, sustainable seafood that come in individually sized, vacuumed sealed packets that make it easy to cook the right amount, and exactly the piece of fish each person wants. Some nights I want Rockfish, and JuanCarlos wants Salmon. Easy breezy to just take out what you need.

WildAlaskanFish.jpg
Perfectly sized protein piece of Salmon accompanied by roasted potatoes, sautéd spinach and salad.

Perfectly sized protein piece of Salmon accompanied by roasted potatoes, sautéd spinach and salad.

Onto some decadent items. These are not weekly or monthly purchases but very much special occasion buys. Believe me when I say, these were extravagances.

For JuanCarlos’ birthday back in May, we purchased a few treats that made him feel special since we would be celebrating in isolation. Traditionally, he loves marking his birthday surrounded by loved ones and with good food and wine abound. So without that, these little touches helped to elevate the occasion to a bit more extraordinary. And the splurge was rationalized in that we weren’t spending a boat load to throw a party. So whatever we spent on these delicacies seemed to be a fraction of what we would have spent. The only sad part was not sharing them with the family and friends we love.

We splurged once on caviar from Imperial Caviar which was so delicious and truly special.

Photo Credit: Imperial Caviar

Photo Credit: Imperial Caviar

Photo Credit: Imperial Caviar

Photo Credit: Imperial Caviar

A little goes a long way. Of course, you can eat it off a pearl spoon or top a mini bilini. But you can also jazz up some scrambled eggs by adding a dab to finish.

The appetizer plate I made to celebrate JuanCarlos’ birthday.  And of course, pink champagne.

The appetizer plate I made to celebrate JuanCarlos’ birthday. I made mini pancakes aka bikini style, topped it with sour cream, and of course, the star… caviar and pink champagne.

And the lavishness continued. I must admit that even though these spiny crustaceans came at a cost we indulged a bit more with lobster from Get Maine Lobster.

Photo Credit: GetMaineLobster.com

Photo Credit: GetMaineLobster.com

Photo Credit: GetMaineLobster.com

Photo Credit: GetMaineLobster.com

We enjoyed them alongside vegetables, and even made lobster salad for a summer’s lunch.

Lobster Salad & Kale Apple Salad

Lobster Salad & Kale Apple Salad

Grilled Lobster tails with sautéd string beans and broccoli.

Grilled Lobster tails with sautéd string beans and broccoli.

JuanCarlos even decided to use them to make a paella, and cooking it on the grill which he absolutely enjoys to the max. These were some of the ways we got through early on. True indulgence that we felt justified at the time, not realizing just how long this pandemic would last. At least we have wonderful memories of good lobster meals.

A man and his flame.

A man and his flame.

Let’s not forget about liquid requirements. For some, the imbibing of alcohol increased during the pandemic, and copious cups of wine and liquor were needed to get us through. Best not to drive under the influence and let the bottles be dropped off on your doorstep. We mostly used Wine.com and Vivino for our crushed grape needs. For liquor, we ventured out to our local stores such as Zachy’s, who also ships both wine and liquor, but it’s close to our home.

Now for more reasonable delivery solutions, my parents have been relying heavily on Instacart, which gives a variety of stores from which to choose for all possible foods and products you might need. There is a $10/month subscription with free delivery for orders over $35 but there is a mandatory tip. I’m sure plenty of you have been using this service to have access to a wide range of popular stores.

Of course, there are a slew of other options for meal prep, and meal delivery services. Among them:

Purple Carrot

Marley Spoon

Dinnerly

Hungry Root

Home Chef

Goldbelly

Hello Fresh

Blue Apron

Since I cook from scratch, I have not tried any of the above services. However, I found an article that tested and summed up a huge range of services and gives detailed info on which ones might be right for you .

The Best Meal Delivery Kits

As we sadly face another stretch of long days, and months sheltered at home, JuanCarlos and I are so grateful to have a home to keep us safe, warm and guarded. As well as to have a multitude of services and front line workers that help us nourish ourselves safely. I pray that we can sustain ourselves, physically, mentally and spiritually, through these difficult times. That we, the human race, can heal quickly and fully, and we learn from this experience with humility and grace.

Happy end of 2020, and to a brighter future in 2021!

 
DP-stirredwlove-ID1.jpg

Spicy Thai Style Vegetable Coconut Soup

I really do love soup. I don’t think I ever realized how just how much until the cold Northeast chill kicks in, and then the true appreciation of a soothing hot bowl of soup sets in. That’s exactly the moment I pull out my big dutch oven, open the fridge and get chopping.

It’s February, which traditionally is the coldest month. Naturally, it was frigid outside… truth be told, the inside of our house often times is more arctic than outdoors. If you were to ask my brother, he would definitely have a thing or two to say about that having survived a few winters in our home. So, I knew with certainty that soup would be on the menu in our house.

Normally, I can just open the fridge and cupboards and start creating. But, this time around, I didn’t have much with which to work. If I had any chance of a soup creation that would warm me through and through, I would need to venture outside. We have plenty of Asian markets in our town, so it’s easy to get motivated to stir up something in with that ethnic flare. And that was exactly the direction I would take. I grabbed what I thought would swim nicely together in the pot and headed back home.

Because I don’t seem to know how to make small quantities of soup, I made a boatload. Fair warning, unless you are feeding an army, or like to freeze and save for a later date, I recommend cutting this recipe down. JuanCarlos and I enjoyed this soup for a several days, then I froze two quarts for future yumminess.

As with any type of ethnic food that might be out of your wheel house, I think it’s important at first to keep it simple and use ingredients that will give you the biggest bang for your buck. Sure, you could go out and buy a slew of special items but if you don’t use them often they just go to waste. Plus, I don’t pretend to be an authority on Thai cooking. Quite the opposite, it is a complex cuisine that employs a delicate hand at balance of spice, salt, sweet, etc. For me, I just like to coax as much flavor out of the ingredients that I can. By sautéing and adding ingredients in stages to develop each flavor to the fullness how I built an intensity that kept me wanting more of this soup.

Like with many of my soup creations they start out as a basic soup, which are totally delicious as is, but then can then be added to. Recap examples:
Cauliflower Soup : Add grilled shrimp or chicken. Sautéed mushrooms or roasted cauliflower
Carrot Soup : Use as a puree base for fish
Kale, Potato, Lentil, Cauliflower Soup : Add mini meatballs, or grilled sausage
Roasted Tomato Soup : Grilled cheese sandwich, naturally. Or a Spicy Sausage Sandwich. Add chunks of grilled chicken.

You get the point. So goes for this soup. I added calamari, but shrimp would be great. Chicken would also work nicely.

So here goes the ingredients. This made about 10 quarts of soup.

thai.soup.set.up.jpg

Ingredients


Makes approx. 9-10 Qts.
2 medium onions, sliced (approx. 2.5 c)
4 c carrots, long stripes (loosely packed)
1/3 c ginger, sliced
2 t ginger, grated
4 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 stalk lemongrass, smashed
2 + t salt (taste test, add more if needed at the end)
1/3 c olive oil + 1 T
7 c Chinese cabbage, chopped (or Napa)
5 c Chinese spinach, chopped (or baby spinach)
2 c Enoki mushrooms
1 c Shimeji mushrooms
1/3 c scallions, sliced + 2T for garnish
2 T red curry paste
1/4 c cilantro, minced + 2T for garnish
Mung bean sprouts for garnish
2 qts chicken or vegetable stock
2 qts water
2 13.5 oz cans coconut milk

 
The way the vegetables are cut makes a difference. For this soup, carrot ribbons work best.

The way the vegetables are cut makes a difference. For this soup, carrot ribbons work best.


Instructions

Create depth of flavor by using strong aromatics, like lemongrass, garlic, ginger and onions.

Create depth of flavor by using strong aromatics, like lemongrass, garlic, ginger and onions.

Spinach, cabbage provides the vegetable base, and cilantro zings in some herbaceousness.

Spinach, cabbage provides the vegetable base, and cilantro zings in some herbaceousness.

  1. In a large dutch oven, or soup pot, sauté onions, lemongrass, slice ginger, garlic, salt. Let these cook down a bit, then add the red curry paste and stir to combine.

  2. Push the cooked aromatics to the sides, add 1 T oil in the middle and add crushed garlic and crushed ginger and scallions and let cook until soft.

Softened aromatics with red curry paste.

Softened aromatics with red curry paste.

Grated garlic and ginger, scallions.

Grated garlic and ginger, scallions.

3. Add carrot ribbons and mushrooms, let cook for 10 minutes until softened.

Add carrots and mushrooms and let soften.

Add carrots and mushrooms and let soften.

4. Add broth and water and simmer for 20 minutes. Then add coconut milk, cabbage, spinach and cilantro and simmer for another 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, bring pot of water to boil and add rice noodles. Cook for 7-10 minutes until tender. Drain and reserve.

To serve, add the rice noodles to the bowl and spoon a good helping of the soup and vegetables on top and garnish with sliced scallions and cilantro.

thai.soup.finalCU.jpg

If you want to add calamari or shrimp to this soup, add it 5 minutes after the spinach and cabbage and let cook through. You can also grill the shrimp or chicken separately and place it atop the soup.
This soup has a nice kick to it. If I had put more thought to it I might have also added some sliced chili peppers. But, quite honestly, I felt the spice level on this was just right.

My birthday gift to myself is sharing the love of nurturing yourself with good food and the warmth of a good soup that soothes you like a comfy blanket.. Try your hand at Spicy Thai Style Vegetable Soup. It will warm you through and through, and all over - mind, body and soul. Soup is good food.

Stir Fried Greens with Crispy, Spicy Rice Noodles

finalplatter.jpg

We recently returned from 10 glorious, 87 degree days in Miami to the brutally stark contrast of 7” of snow and no food in the house. My immediate thought was of course our serious food shortage situation. So before more snow fell I needed to get to the grocery store and stock up. My second thought was to ensure that I stocked up on greens. And that is all due to our eating patterns during this last trip. Normally when we are in Miami we eat fairly lean. Lots of salads, fresh cut fruit and lighter fare. But this trip was indulgence, and more. More of everything and anything, including sun. So my NY shop was going to be all about getting back us back on track. I filled my cart with lots of produce to make soups and sautéd veggies. And I was on a good track except that as I was looking for true buckwheat noodles, meaning no wheat, just buckwheat a lady placed a package of rice noodles back on the shelf. What else could I do but grab them? Now with my shopping cart busting, and some noodles to make me smile, I went home. (Notice that I didn’t have a third thought of how cold it was. I was betting on the “let’s not focus on the mound of snow” attitude.)

First, I made two different soups which we slurped up for 2 days. But I really didn’t feel like slurping anymore and needed to chew on something, and not just drink my meals. As I stared down at all those greens stir fry was the immediate light bulb. And even though there was snow on the ground, I ventured out to the shed to get our plancha* as thoughts of stir fried noodles and veggies floated in my head and made my tummy gurgle.

*plancha = flat metal grilling surface or pan

A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Serious commitment to cooking.

A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Serious commitment to cooking.

I was fully aware that I was getting a jump start on dinner by cooking at 11am. So I resigned to the idea of eating this dish for lunchtime and making enough to share with ‘others’ (my hubby and sister) so they could enjoy at dinner time.

Here’s what I pulled out of the fridge.

A bounty of greens

A bounty of greens

Scallions, Cilantro, Swiss Chard, Carrot, Onion, Baby Kale, Baby Bok Choy.

First things first. You should know the drill by now. MISE EN PLACE, people. Cut it all up and ready it for stir frying. I grabbed just handful of each. This is stir fry so you can add as much of each as you like. Amounts are of no consequence here. Let me say that again. Amounts DO NOT matter. Use what you like or what you have.

Now that is a beautiful board full of chopped up veggies.

Now that is a beautiful board full of chopped up veggies.

Look at the vibrancy of that chard!

Look at the vibrancy of that chard!

I’m not usually a big fan of bok choy, but this fresh and tender and tossed with noodles, that’s another story.

I’m not usually a big fan of bok choy, but this fresh and tender and tossed with noodles, that’s another story.

Before I tackled stir frying the veggies, I cooked my rice noodles and set them aside. Then on my plancha, I added olive oil and two veggies at a time. I cooked each one separately to keep their integrity. Plus I wanted this dish to have the same feel and eating style as you often see in a big bowl of Asian soup. You know the kinds where all the toppings are sectioned off on the top of the soup and you stir them in as you wish.

I gathered my mise en place board of nutrients, and readied them up next to the plancha for easy grabbing. I only seasoned the veggies with salt, pepper and drizzle of sesame oil as each one cooked, then plated them onto a large platter before enhancing the noodles that were standing by.

The real seasonings was going on the noodles.

The rice noodles I just had to grab. I love me some noodles.

The rice noodles I just had to grab. I love me some noodles.

It fits perfectly over two burners. I love this plancha.

It fits perfectly over two burners. I love this plancha.

Bok Choy and onions getting stirred with love.

Bok Choy and onions getting stirred with love.

A good shot of vitamin A, vitamin K and vitamin B

A good shot of vitamin A, vitamin K and vitamin B

Once everything was stirred with love I got a slurry of spiced sauces ready. In a cup I mixed a tablespoon of red curry paste, a heaping tablespoon of Thai chili paste, half tablespoon of chili oil and 1/2 cup of olive oil, and a tad of sesame oil. I didn’t actually use all of it. You can use as much or as little heat as you desire.

noodles.stirfry2.jpg

Having left the scallions on the plancha, I dumped my cooked rice noodles onto the grill and drizzled the slurry on top, then let it cook away until some parts got crispy. I added in the cilantro, then I cut some more and added it to the top.

noodles.stirfry.jpg

Done and done. I couldn’t stop eating this. I think I ate too much. So much for eating light again. Sure there were greens, but in order to truly accomplish the lean eating I would have needed to swap the noodle to veggie ratio a bit. Something I recommend you do if you don’t want to rice noodle your way into a carb coma… like I pleasantly did. What can I say, I love noodles.

finalplate.jpg
 
DP-stirredwlove-ID1.jpg

Rice Noodle Rags with Stir Fry Veggies

stirfry.final.jpg

Yes, noodles again. It should be abundantly clear by now that I like noodles. It goes deep, my friends. My love for the noodle is profoundly imbedded in my DNA, pulling me toward them. A comfort that wraps me up like a warm blanket. And so, I am forever toying around with combinations of ingredients to conceal… I mean, accompany the noodle.

I resemble that joke about “have some coffee with your sugar.” That is my philosophy with noodles. If left to my own devices, I would eat them straight up plain. Not extra items need be added. However, I will admit that the other ingredients do enrich their flavor and bring more nutrients to the table. And for those reasons, I chop, dice and cook up noodle-enhancing ideas.

Let us start at the very beginning. A very good place to start. It didn’t actually start with the noodle. But instead, with pan on which I would be cooking. This stir fry noodle story actually was spawned by my husband’s complete and utter obsession with the Chef Frances Mallman. He is a world renown chef and an outdoorsman who loves to cook in the wild, and therefore has big grills and planchas. Thus the impetus for us buying a plancha.

What is a plancha, you ask? It is basically a flat metal plate for cooking. We purchased ours online from Little Griddle.

Funny thing is, I have used this plancha more frequently than my grilling, outdoorsman-mimicking husband. And that is how I came up with this stir fry a la plancha style dish. I was keen on using it, so I grabbed all my veggies and started thinking about what I would stir… fry up with love.

Don’t ask me why I had all these veggies in the house. That answer should be completely known to you all by now. I see it. It looks good. I get excited. I buy it. (It is then my job to figure out what to do with them once home.)

Now with the plancha perfectly situated on my stovetop (I’m less the outdoorswoman grilling type so I brought it indoors), I began stir frying up a storm.

I’m not going to give you amounts. This truly is about pulling out what you love and using it in whatever quantities you have or making it for the amount of people you need. (Hint, you can get an idea of amounts by looking at the photos.)

stirfry.setup.jpg

ingredients

Baby Bok Choy, leaves separated
White or Nappa Cabbage, sliced
Purple Cabbage, sliced
Yellow & Orange Pepper, bite sized pieces
Bean Sprouts
Long Hot Pepper, sliced
scallions, thick slice
Red Onions, large dice
cilantro, chopped
Rice Noodle Rags
Turmeric
Cayenne Pepper, optional
Olive oil, salt, pepper

 
A bounty of good nutrients to counterbalance my rice noodle addiction.

A bounty of good nutrients to counterbalance my rice noodle addiction.

instructions

Chop and dice vegetables in bite sized pieces. Clearly you might not have a plancha like ours, so you can use an equivalent. A wok, of course, would be perfect or a large grill pan. Use what you have, the idea is to sauté/stir fry the vegetables over medium high heat. Meanwhile, soak the rice noodles in warm water for 15 minutes. Then submerge them in boiling water for another 5 minutes, and set aside.

Rice noodle rags soaking in warm water.

Rice noodle rags soaking in warm water.

I combined the sweet and hot peppers with the onions and scallions. Then add oil to the plancha and began stirring.

Look at that rainbow of colors. Also know as nutrients.

Rainbow equals nourishment for your body and soul.

Rainbow equals nourishment for your body and soul.

Then I add some turmeric and dash of cayenne pepper to the cabbage. If you don’t want any more heat, leave the cayenne out. There is spice in the long, hot peppers. Or make it spicier. Your call.

Cabbages getting turmeric-ed and spiced.

Cabbages getting turmeric-ed and spiced.

Remove the other veggies, then stir fry the cabbage separately, and do the same with the bok choy.

cabbage.stirfry.jpg

The bok choy leaves are more tender than their stems which is why I didn’t cook these with the cabbage. I felt that each needed care with their cooking times to keep the veggies crisp but tender enough. Also, there was about 8 cups of bok choy, so the plancha would have been too crowded.

Bok Choy, bright green and vibrant.

Bok Choy, bright green and vibrant.

Once all the veggies are cooked, put them all back on the plancha and add the cooked rice noodles. Stir in the bean sprouts to warm through and stir all together. Top with freshly chopped cilantro, or if by chance you have made my tahini-peanut sauce, this would be a great place to use it. If not, this is great just as is.

Than is a boat load of goodness.

Than is a boat load of goodness.

Turned into a bowl full of yum.

Turned into a bowl full of yum.

Plancha or no plancha, find a way to stir fry up some nutrient packed veggies and toss in rice noodles for that warm blanket comfort feel. I promise you will continue to find ways to stir up noodles. If not, then you can add noodles to your veggies!