Noodle Bowl with Seasoned Egg & Pan Fried Tofu

Have I said I’m obsessed with “Bowls”!?!?! Well I am…for the last year or so. My newest creation wasn’t ramen…or soup…or with rice. This had a creamy peanut sauce covering the noodles, topped with pan fried crispy tofu, roasted baby bok choy, fresh carrot sticks, chopped cilantro, green onions and pickled ginger. Oooohhhhhh the pickled ginger I absolutely love! It’s a must have on any Asian inspired bowl I make.

Some details in case you would like to make your own:

  • I cheated and bought the peanut sauce. It was a quality one but there are tons of recipes on Pinterest if you’d like to make your own. Use it to coat the noodles and marinate the tofu before pan frying.
  • Roast the baby bok choy with olive oil and salt and pepper until they’re soft. That’s all you need here!
  • Cut all you fresh veggies while you fry the tofu and cook the noodles.
  • Put all your toppings on the noodles and enjoy – and I added a little sesame seeds at the last minute ☺️
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    Coconut Curry Cod and Vegetable Noodle Bowl (Dairy and Gluten Free!)

    It’s been far too long since I last posted! I shouldn’t make a habit of that.

    So I have an obsession…bowls! Ramen, udon, rice noodle, curry, you name it; I want to make them or try them all. This whole thing started when I found Terakawa in Philadelphia and it’s been bowls galore since then. I honestly can’t get enough of them! I even got my mom hooked so she’s testing out her own skills with these as well lol. Keep it up TJ! You’re doing great and we’re learning from each other!

    What you’ll need:

      8oz large rice noodles
      2 Tbls coconut oil
      1/2 red onion, chopped
      2 carrots, chopped small
      4 cloves garlic, minced
      6oz baby Bella mushrooms, chopped
      1 squash (green, yellow or patty pan your choice)
      10 leaves kale, chopped
      4 leaves bok choy, chopped
      3 eats corn, boiled and cut off the cob (or one small can drained)
      1 lb cod filets, no skin and deboned
      2 tbls better than bouillon chicken base
      2 tsp red curry paste
      2 tsp turmeric
      2 tsp ground ginger
      12 oz evaporated coconut milk
      8 cups water
      Fresh ground pepper
      Himalayan people no sea salt
      Fresh cilantro, optional

    Here’s what to do:

    1. Heat the oil over medium heat until melted

    2. Sauté the onions and carrots with a couple dashes of salt for 2-3 minutes

    3. Add the mushrooms and squash with a couple more dashes of salt for another 2-3 minutes

    4. Add the garlic, curry paste, turmeric, ginger and chicken base and sauté for about 2 minutes, or until fragrant, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn

    5. Add the water, corn and cod with a couple more dashes of salt and turn the heat up to medium high

    6. Bring the pot to a bubbling simmer until the fish is completely cooked and flaky

    7. While it is heating up, cook the rice noodles according to their package. Set aside.

    8. Add the bok choy and kale and stir to combine while breaking up the fish into pieces if it didn’t already do that on its own. Turn off the heat.

    9. Serve in a bowl with chop sticks (or fork) and a spoon. Add the soup in first, then the noodles off to one side and garnish with a rough, small handful of fresh cilantro.

    Enjoy!

    P.S. My awesome husband got me special ramen bowls for my birthday because I made it so much these days 😊

    Cast Iron Vegan Chili

    I made this for all my vegan and vegetarian friends and family. Not all meals have to have meat and some taste even better without it. If you are a carnivore, just give this a try and you’ll realize what I mean.  Look at the vibrant colors! You see onions and red, yellow and purple bell peppers. 

    Add the carrots for some orange…

    Put everything together…

    I’m really enjoying a local farm stand this summer that’s right down the road from me. All ingredients came from there and I believe one of the reasons this dish tasted so delicious. The fresher the better! 

    Serves 8

    What you’ll need:

    • 1 cup each dry black and pinto beans, rehydrated according to the instructions (or use canned beans and will equal about 3 cups total after draining)
    • 2 ears corn (or 1 can of corn)
    • 2 carrots, diced
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 3 large garlic cloves, chopped small
    • 3 bell peppers, largely diced 
    • 3 fresh tomatoes, diced
    • 13 oz can of diced tomatoes
    • 3 oz Tom paste
    • 28oz can tomato sauce
    • 1 tsp coriander
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 tsp ground mustard
    • 2 tsp cumin
    • 2 tsp chili powder
    • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
    • 2 Tbls olive oil
    • Pink Himalayan Salt
    • Fresh ground black pepper
    • 2 jalapeños, roasted and diced small for garnish
    • red onion, diced small for garnish
    • cilantro or parsley, for garnish

    What to do:

    1. If you’re using the dried beans like I did, you’ll need to start this the night before or follow the instructions for the quick cook. 
    2. In a large cast iron Dutch oven, heat the olive oil on medium. 
    3. Sautée the onions and bell peppers with some salt and pepper about 5 minutes until slightly soft. 
    4. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the the carrots and garlic. Sautée another 5 minutes stirring frequently. 
    5. Add the fresh tomatoes, a little more salt and pepper, stir and simmer until you see the liquid expel from the tomatoes. 
    6. Boil the corn, let cool, slice off with a knife and add to the pot. 
    7. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and paste, stir until combined and add all the spices and nutritional yeast. Reduce the heat to low and stir again. 
    8. Simmer on the lowest heat for an hour to hour and a half stirring occasionally. 
    9. Serve in a bowl with the garnishes listed or whatever you choose. Feel free to add some hot sauce for some heat if you don’t do the jalapeños 😉

    Side note: You can roast your own jalapeños directly on your stove top. Be sure to char all sides, let cool, peel the char and diced away. Very simple and can be done with any kind of peppers. 

    Enjoy!

      Trottole Pasta Salad

      I’m all about pasta this weekend! I used  Simply Balanced Organic Trottole Pasta for this recipe. It’s a fun shape and all the good stuff you add to a pasta salad incorporates well into it. You can pretty much use any type of pasta for this dish if you can’t find this type. Some good alternatives would be farfallepenne or even multi colored radiatore! Remember to always salt your water when boiling pasta!!

      If you want to make this a vegan dish, use a vegan friendly pasta. 


      What you’ll need:

      • 16 oz Trottole pasta
      • 1 medium Eggplant, roasted and diced
      • 2 Carrots, chopped small (I used my Kitchen Aid Spiralizer if you have one)
      • 5 Kale leaves, chopped fine
      • 2 Green Onions, chopped into thin rings
      • 4 oz Tomatoes, grape or cherry, halved (optional)
      • Juice of 1 Lemon
      • 1 Tbls dried Thyme
      • 2 Tbls Garlic Powder
      • 1 small can of sliced black olives 
      • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
      • S & P

      What to do: 

      1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
      2. Begin to boil the water for the pasta. 
      3. Remove some of the skin on the eggplant with a peeler, dice and place on a sheet tray with olive oil and S & P. 
      4. Bake for 15-20 minutes until completely soft, remove and let cool. 
      5. Boil the pasta according to the instructions, drain and let cool. 
      6. Meanwhile, prepare the carrots, kale, onions, tomatoes and lemon juice and add all into a large bowl. 
      7. Add the eggplant, thyme, garlic powder, S & P to the mixture. Combine thoroughly. 
      8. Once the pasta has cooled, add it into the mixture with more olive oil and toss. Put in more or less oil and S & P to your taste. 

      Enjoy!!

          Crockpot Beef Tacos for Toddlers (or Adults)

          I really think older babies (when ready for solid food) and toddlers should eat just like adults. My husband and I LOVED our beef tacos so why not share with Grady?!?!

          What you need to put in the crockpot:

          • 1 lb flank steak
          • 1 small jar salsa
          • 1/2 cup beef broth
          • 4 cloves garlic

          Toppings and shell:

          • Avocado
          • Greek Yogurt
          • Sharp Cheddar Cheese
          • Deathwish hot sauce (for the adults)
          • Whole wheat soft taco shells 

          What to do:

          1. Add the ingredients to the crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours. 
          2. Shread the beef and cook another 1/2 hour – 1 hour. 
          3. Put it all on a shell with as much or as little of the toppings. I recommend that you drain some of the juice from the crockpot beforehand. 

          At the very end I wanted to make sure Grady had enough vegetables so I added some raw carrots. He loved it all!

          Enjoy!