Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce

Jun 262012
 

My new favorite thing to eat is eggplants. It was something that I did not love as a child and have not given it much of a break as an adult, but all my preconceived notions are now gone. This easy rustic recipe will convert even the skeptical ones of the bunch about this beautiful glossy purple vegetable.  The buttermilk sauce is excellent on the eggplant or slathered over any other grilled vegetables, lamb chops, etc. I am using fat free Greek-style yogurt these days, but whole milk would taste even better. It is a lovely side dish or serve it with some crusty bread or pita and you have a great little lunch. I served this pretty platter on a dinner buffet. Big hit because of it’s taste and beauty. I made it ahead of time because it more flavorful at room temperature, which freed me up for other dishes that needed to be prepped right before.

This is my adaptation from Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe from his great vegetable cookbook, Plenty. He uses za’tar spice at the end to sprinkle over the buttermilk sauce. I did not have it, so I just stuck with the thyme and pomegranates, but then added some pomegranate molasses because it was handy and I thought the sweet tang would add something to the dish. This worked out great.

In my attempt to imitate Nigella’s scene of a late night raid of the fridge, I pulled out the cold eggplant that was beautifully slathered with buttermilk sauce and coated it with copious amounts of sriracha sauce. Oh, was this so fabulous. I washed it all down with an ice cold beer. I certainly was not as sexy as Nigella doing this. First of all, I had no makeup on and she wears red lip stick for her late night raid. Let’s not even mention my worn-out night shirt I was wearing. I did moan a bit like she does, because it was that tasty. Frankly, it is way too hard to see what is going on in the kitchen with just light from the fridge. How does she do that? This was all done for the sake of art, by the way. LOL.

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Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce
This is my adaptation from Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe from his great vegetable cookbook, Plenty.

Author:
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Recipe type: Main Entree
Serves: 2

Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Ingredients
Eggplat
  • 2 large and long eggplants
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 1½ teaspoons thyme leaves
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • ½ cup pomegranate seeds
  • ¼ cup pomegranate molasses
Sauce
  • 9 tablespoons buttermilk
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • 1½ tablespoons olive oil, plus a drizzle to finish
  • 1 small garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 pinch salt

Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Cut the eggplants in half lengthways, cutting straight through the green stalk (the stalk is for the look; don’t eat it).
  3. Use a small sharp knife to make three or four parallel incisions in the cut side of each eggplant half, without cutting through to the skin. Repeat at a 45-degree angle to get a diamond-shaped pattern.
  4. Place the eggplant halves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  5. Brush them with olive oil—keep on brushing until all of the oil has been absorbed by the flesh.
  6. Sprinkle with the lemon thyme leaves and some salt and pepper.
  7. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, at which point the flesh should be soft, flavorful, and nicely browned. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
  8. To make the sauce, whisk together all of the ingredients. Taste for seasoning, then keep cold until needed.
  9. To serve, spoon plenty of buttermilk sauce over the eggplant halves without covering the stalks. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses and plenty of pomegranate seeds on top and garnish with thyme leaves as well.

 

Enjoy this super easy and healthy recipe. Make the buttermilk sauce all on it’s own. Fabulous. Let me know about your best Nigella imitation. Meanwhile, I will try to get a life. LOL.

Pull up a chair,  Elizabeth

 

Soba Noodles with Eggplant & Mango

Jan 312012
 
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I love reading cookbooks. I read them like novels, but it is rare that I make almost every recipe from a particular cookbook. I find them inspirational and only cook a few recipes from them.  I just recently opened a cookbook that blew my mind and I want to cook almost every recipe in it. It is Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty. It is a vegetarian cookbook from the guy that writes the vegetarian column in the Guardian. (London newspaper) He also has several restaurants in London.

I am really trying to have vegetables be the show case of our family meals and meat, the compliment. I want my son to crave vegetables. I want to crave vegetables more then fries. This kind of recipe answers this desire. These soba noodles with eggplant and mango are so flavor packed, that I wanted to lick the bowl when I was finished.

Okay, now I am going to bitch for a moment. There are a lot of typos in this book. At least, in the kindle version of it. For example, in this recipe it says that I need 12/3 cup of basil. What? Thank goodness I am a confident cook and knew how to switch this up, but just beware of this, if you buy the book.  I also used agave nectar in place of sugar, because I am watching my sugar intake. I also added fresh mint because it just seemed like it should be in there.

You can serve this as a starter or add some fried tofu to make it a main dish. I had some left over and ate it for lunch the next day.

SERVES 6

1/2 cup rice vinegar
3 T. sugar (2 T. agave nectar)
1/2 t. salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 fresh red chile, finely chopped
1 t. sesame oil
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 cup sunflower oil
2 eggplants, cut into 3/4-inch dice
8 to 9 oz. soba noodles (I used two neat little bundles)
1 large mango or 2 small mangos, peeled, diced or cut into strips
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn
2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup fresh mint
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced

 

1. In a small saucepan gently warm the vinegar, sugar, and salt for up to 1 minute, just until the sugar dissolves.
2. Remove from the heat and add the garlic, chile and sesame oil. Allow to cool, then add the lime zest and juice.
3. Heat up the sunflower oil in a large pan and shallow fry the eggplant in three or four batches. Once golden brown remove to a colander , sprinkle liberally with salt and leave there to drain.
4. Cook noodles in plenty of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally. It takes 5 to 8 minutes. I would lean toward the 5 minute side  of this to keep them al dente. Drain and rinse well under running cold water.
5. Shake off as much of the excess water as possible, then leave to dry on a dish towel.
6. In a mixing bowl, toss the noodles with the dressing, mango, eggplant, half the herbs and onions. You can even leave it aside for 1 to 2 hours.
7. When ready to serve add in the rest of the herbs and mix well, then pile on a plate or in a bowl.

 

I made this ahead and served it to friends as a side dish. It has a big wow impact when you place this beautiful dish on the table. I had it made it ahead and all the prep dishes cleaned up before my guests got there. Love that.  You will love the tang, sweet, and heat in this dish. It is summer in the middle of winter. This is just a great recipe. My hat is off to you, Yotam Ottolenghi. Thanks for the inspiration.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

Garlic in olive oil

Dec 232011
 
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 Mellow, nutty, and sweet. I love how garlic tastes when it is cooked. Making up a jar of roasted garlic in olive oil doesn’t take long. It will last about 2 weeks, but it never lasts that long in our house. What do I use it on? The real question is what I don’t use it on. Slather the garlic on bread or add to a quick sauce for pasta. Use the oil to make a simple salad dressing or fry an egg in. My son loves a slice of crunchy toasted baguette brushed with the garlic oil and slice of salami on top for breakfast. He always has apple slices along with it. Drizzle it in a sandwich. I have whipped the roasted garlic into potatoes. OMG, that is fabulous, but hash browns cooked with garlic oil is fabulousity.

You can use it when roasting veggies or over a slice of pizza…on salmon or to poach shrimp in. Okay, do I need to say more? This stuff is just a must-have in your fridge. To top it all off, it is good for you. Dr. Oz, come on over and look into my fridge, this stuff is great.

Okay, are you ready for how easy it is?

This is the hardest part. Put 5 heads of garlic, that is peeled, in a one quart sauce pan.

Generously cover all the garlic with olive oil, filling up the pan.

Add some peppercorns (5-8), a bay leaf, and some thyme, if you have them.

Place in a 300F oven for about an hour.

When you pull out, it is good served warm. I usually store in Mason jar in the fridge. When I am ready to use, I do let it get to room temperature and sometimes I reheat it in the microwave so that it is warm.

Oh, I can’t wait to hear how you use it.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

CSA recipe 4: Fried Green Tomatoes

Oct 112011
 
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Ingredients used:

Green Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes

I have never had a fried green tomato before in my life. I first heard of them from the movie, Fried Green Tomatoes. After receiving these green tomatoes in my CSA basket, I knew I was going to finally make them. In researching different recipes, I found out that fried green tomatoes are not originally a southern dish as I had always thought. At the turn of the century, all the recipes found were in the northern and mid-western states. It also seemed to have a strongest presents in the Jewish community. It is believed that the tomatoes were picked right before the first freeze so they would be ruined. With a long winter ahead, nothing on the vine went to waste.

After looking over several different recipes, I went for the one that seemed liked any grandma would of passed down to her family.

Cut your tomatoes a little thick. You do not want them too thin. Dip them first in AP flour, then in buttermilk (I used soy milk because of my son’s allergy to milk), then in seasoned cornmeal. I seasoned the cornmeal with creole seasoning.( I mix up the Emeril’s essence recipe)  I use creole seasoning often enough that I keep it by my stove top. Put breaded tomato slices all on a tray and heated up some oil over med/high heat in a pan. You want an enough oil that when you place your breaded tomato in the oil it goes half way up the side of it. Brown on  both sides. Drain on paper towel.

Now I ended up not making any remoulade for the tomatoes because I wanted to taste them straight up.  I loved how the cornmeal complimented the tartness of the green tomato. The firmness of the tomato really played well for frying. I noticed that a lot of people just use hot sauce to accompaniment the fried green tomatoes.  I liked them that way as well, but they do not need much. I did think to myself that they would taste great on a burger, though. Crisp, tart, rich, and meaty. What can I say? I always go there.

Now the grape tomatoes were eaten the day we got them by my son, who eats them like candy. It is also a great addition to his lunch box, but sometimes have a hard time finding organic ones.

The last two ingredients are arugula and eggs. That is the next post.

I am loving my CSA. Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

 

Fish and Zucchini Cake with Sriracha Yogurt Dip

Aug 082011
 
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I have been sitting here trying to figure out what to write about this delicious fish and zucchini cake and I have nothing. Absolutely nothing. I never had fishcakes as a kid. I have not heard people talk about fishcakes. The only thing that I understand about the history of the fishcake is that it was a way to use leftover fish and potatoes in several different cultures. I, personally, have never had a fishcake until I made these.

This recipe just came to me from… I have no idea. I just started throwing it all together with what I had on hand and it ended up super tasty.  I will make it again because I liked it so much. So just make these tasty cakes yourself. They have a tender flavorful middle with a buttery crisp exterior. I made up a sriracha yogurt sauce to dip them into. The tangy heat of the sauce complimented the savory cake.

So, as I said, just make them. Yum.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

 

Makes 4-6 cakes

1/2 lb. cod fish
1/2 lemon
2 t. salt
2 cups zucchini, grated
1 cup leftover baked potato, grated
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
3 gloves garlic, finely chopped
2 T. fresh dill, chopped
1`t. onion powder
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs, slightly beaten
4 t. butter

1. Bring a pot of water with lemon and salt in it to boil.

2. Place cod in water and turn it down to a slow steady boil.

3. It will not take long to cook the fish. When it’s clear texture turns white and can flake, your fish is done.

4. Pull fish out and flake into a bowl.

5. Put the rest of the ingredients in the fish bowl, except the butter. Toss together.

6. Heat up a non-stick skillet over medium to low heat.  Melt butter in pan. Scoop out fish batter on to skillet. When first side is browned, flip and brown.

7. Drain on paper towel.

8. Serve with sriracha yogurt sauce.

 

Sriracha Yogurt Sauce

1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 T. ketchup
1 t. sriracha

1. Mix all ingredients and serve.
 

 

Croque Monsieur Cigars

Jul 072011
 
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It seems that most people learn on the their first trip to Paris is that a cup of coffee and some croque monsieur in the morning will help lessen the inevitable red wine hangover. Making croque monsieur portable seemed imperative for spreading the love. Little pastry cigars filled with creamy Gruyere cheese sauce and smokey ham could cure a hangover, impress in-laws, or make you the most-sought after in a crowd.  You can prep these a couple days ahead of time. I have also put the left over cheese sauce in a bowl for people to dip their cigars into. No double dipping allowed, though.

The roux is ready for the warm milk…

Continuously stir until the milk starts to thicken, then add the cheese.

After shaping your puff pastry in a rectangle spread Dijon mustard over the dough.

Assemble with ham, cheese and sauce.

Fold and seal well. Make sure not to put too much of the filling inside. It will make it much harder to seal. After this is done, I would either stick in the oven or put in fridge for baking later.

Makes 12

Gruyere cheese sauce:

  • 2  tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons AP flour
  • 2 cups hot milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • pinches nutmeg
  • 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Croque Monsieur Cigar:

  • 1 package of puff pastry, 2 sheets, thawed
  • Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 pound ham, shaved
  • 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

    1. Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.
    2. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter–flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, grated Gruyère, and the Parmesan and set aside.
    3. Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 6 rectangle. Stretch out a little in length & width. Spread Dijon mustard on all 12 stretched out rectangles.
    4. Put ham on each puff pastry rectangle along the length of it. Follow with cheese and cheese sauce.
    5. Roll pastry up length wise and seal. Pinch ends.
    6. Place them on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Make sure to leave space in between each cigar so they can crisp up.
    7. Bake in a preheat oven of 350F for about 25 minutes.Pull the cigars off the cookie sheet by the parchment. Let cool about about 10-15 minutes. Wrap with wax paper then tie. Pack in insulated bag will keep them warm.

I haven’t been able to go to Paris since my youngest son was born. How I long for a trip…Paris is a place that feeds my soul.  Being a single mother leaves me little time to sit, sipping a leisurely cup of coffee and writing in a journal. Making a little French food to take along on my busy schedule, to share with my friends will just have to do for right now.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

 

Smoked Fish Spread

Apr 252011
 
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The extent of my fish spread making really has been just to tuna fish salad. Smoked fish spreads seemed fancy or expensive or something. Northern Michigan has a lot of whitefish spread sold in places and I actually only think of it when I am up there on vacation. It is usually really fattening and I eat way too much of it. I saw some the other day at a specialty store here in Chicago for $9.65 for 4 oz. What? I could practically eat an ounce in one swipe of my cracker.

So, like usual, this got me going… I can make this… better even…half the price. For those of you that do not know much about Chicago, we have a huge Polish immigrant population. What is great about this is the cuisine that they brought with them and now I can buy it as well. There are a lot of different smoked fish in the Polish stores here at a good price.

Salmon, whitefish, and mackeral are some of the types of fish that usually available. I got an half pound of peppered smoked mackerel for $4.50. This is so easy, you will be shocked.

1/2 pd. smoked fish (I used a peppered version)
1 8 oz. package low fat cream cheese, softened
heaping 1/2 cup of nonfat Greek style yogurt
handful of fresh dill
1/2 t. apple cider vinegar
1/4-1/2 t. salt
pepper, to taste (I did not need to add to mine because fish was peppered)

1. Hand flake smoked fish into a bowl.
2. Add cream cheese, yogurt, and dill. Stir together.
3. Add vinegar. Stir.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve or chill and serve later.

So there… I did it. Over a pound of delicious fish spread for about $7.00. Much lower in calorie and fat. This took me three minutes to make. Have it around the house. Take it to your friends house. Slather it on something, then write me and tell me all about it. Teehee.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

Sheep’s Milk Ricotta & Sausage Pizza

Mar 182011
 
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 Are any of you making your own pizza? Once I got my technique down, I find it easy to do. I make it healthier then the stuff I order. I can tailor each pizza to every one’s individual tastes and most importantly, I save sooo much money.

I typically make pizza when Gabriel has a friend over. I figure that a six year old will usually enjoy pizza that he can put all the toppings on himself versus the cassoulet or some other funky dish I have made. Gabriel is used to this, but most of his friends are not. He does have one friend, Paddy, that will try anything with gusto that I put in front of him. He then declares if he likes it or it is not really his style. He wins my heart every time. Gabriel can make his with his soy cheese and is just like his friend. I can not tell you how many “pizza parties” Gabe can not participate in because of his allergy to dairy. We are good at finding solutions, but I tell on his face it bugs him a little every time.

I am blessed to have a great local source for such a beautiful product. Sheep’s milk ricotta. It is the same source that I get pecorino romano(which is made from sheep’s milk as well). I came up with this pizza because it is the perfect way to show off these amazing ingredients. Every bite of this pizza is perfectly balanced. Feel free to buy ricotta at the grocery store for this, but make sure it is whole milk ricotta. It tastes so much better then the low fat or fat free versions. They are horrible tasting. Matter of fact, they are worse then horrible. Just don’t do it. You could also use Parmesan cheese instead of the romano. I have made my own pizza dough, but have also used Trader Joe’s brand of fresh dough.  Which ever works for you.

Serves 5
  • 1/2 pound Italian sausage, mild or hot
  • 1 cup sheep’s milk ricotta
  • 1 cup pecorino romano, finely grated
  • 3 gloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1 pound pizza dough, traditional or whole wheat
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 ounces baby arugula, washed
  • 1 lemon, juice of
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • anchovy fillets, optional

  1. Put pizza stone on the middle rack of oven. Preheat oven to 500F.

  2. Remove sausage from casing and brown crumbles until cooked through. Drain on paper towel. Note: I like to have the mild sausage when I am having the more traditional crust. Everything is light and airy. When I chose the whole wheat crust, I like the hot sausage with it for more of a rustic taste. Your call. I like both.

  3. In a bowl, mix ricotta, pecorino romano, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Set aside.

  4. I place the cup of cornmeal at the top of my work surface, so I can add it to my work surface easily. Divide dough into five equal parts. Generously flour work surface with cornmeal and roll out dough, rolling the cornmeal into the dough as you make it super thin. I go for a sorta circular shape and call it rustic. I can never seem to be able to make it circular, so rustic it is.

  5. On a upside down baking sheet, I place more cornmeal, then place on the rolled out dough. Now I start assembling. Ricotta mixture spread out over dough, then sausage crumbles and finish with a drizzle of olive oil on top.

  6. With the help of a spatula to guide you, your assembled dough should just slide right onto the stone in the oven. It takes about 3-5 minutes. I always look for that bottom of my pizza to be crispy and golden. I also like it when it gets a few brown edges. Pull it out when it looks just right to you.

  7. As the pizza is cooling a bit, (Okay, how many times have you gotten a upper mouth burn from trying to eat your pizza too soon?) mix your arugula with a squeeze of lemon, drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper to your taste in a small bowl. Toss together and place on top of pizza.

  8. I enjoy putting an anchovy fillet on the top, but I am rare in my group of friends. Now my siblings would all ask for the anchovy… enjoy.

My friend, Elizabeth, is a fabulous cook and food blogger. She makes pizza for her husband, Larry, every Friday night. What a simple, comforting way to spend the evening. I hope to someday join them out in San Diego on one of their Friday nights. Meanwhile, I am starting my own traditions.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

Mediterranean Mussels

Feb 182011
 
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The first time I had mussels I was nineteen at the Plaza area of Kansas City, Missouri dining at the Bristol Seafood Restaurant. Yes, it was not France or Belgium, it was Missouri where I had my first mussel. My sister had recently gotten married and moved to Kansas City. She was working as a server at the Bristol and told me I had to have them and they were served with garlic bread. Okay, I am in.  (Traditional served with fries in France and Belgium. I also enjoy it served with simple crusty French bread to sop all the juices from the bowl.)  Fabulous tasting.  I was struck how elegant it was in appearance and how luscious the tastes were.

It would be years before I would ever attempt to cook them myself. They are delicious, quick to make and seem sorta fancy, but mussels are great priced.  Anything tasty, affordable and about 15 minutes to cook from start to finish is now a regular on my family’s dinner table.

I can get about 9-10 lbs. at Costco for about $2 a lb. They sell shellfish only on Thursday- Sunday and, of course, with all things Costco… you have to buy 9 to 10 lbs. Julia Child says that you need 3 lbs for 4 people as an appetizer or 6 lbs for 4 for dinner.  I bought my mussels at my trusted fish monger, The Fish Guy, for $4.95 a lb. he suggested that 2 lbs. per person. He has a point. They go down like popcorn. I decided on a lb. per person for lunch.

Now it pays to have a great fish monger. The Fish Guy throw in a couple extra hand fulls because you will always have a few dead mussels. The good news is that you can easily tell which mussels are dead or alive. All mussels should be closed tight. If they are slightly opened, tap lightly and if they close they are still alive and you can use. Anyone that is open, even slightly and does not close should be tossed. You do not want to be sick because you had a bad mussel. I have bought the Costco 9 pounder for 4 people. I had to throw about 2 lbs away of dead mussels. Still a great price and value.

I make an “onion jam” that I use to add another layer to my dishes at the last minute. I make up a big batch and I used it in different ways… for instance in a pan sauce after I saute’ a pork chop or in meatloaf, etc. I included it here, but if you do not need to use it. Just add 1/2 of finely chopped onion when you add the red pepper. You can also replace the clementine juice with about 1/4 cup of orange juice.

Serves 2

Onion “jam”:

  • 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 3 sprigs of thyme
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • salt & pepper, to taste

  1. Add olive oil, onions, bay leaves, cloves, and thyme in a saute pan. Mix and heat over medium low heat for about 10 minutes.

  2. Add butter and water. Just make sure that there is enough water to cover all the onions. Cover and turn down to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes. Add more water if it is needed.

  3. Take out bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and cloves before seasoning with salt and pepper. It will be used in other recipes, so keep it subtle.

  4. Store in fridge and scoop out onions when needed.

Mediterranean Rim Mussels:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 red pepper, finely chopped
  • 3 gloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/4-1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup onion jam
  • 1 lemon, juice of
  • 2 clementine, juice of
  • 2 pinches saffron
  • 1/2 cup spanish green olives, finely chopped
  • 2 lbs, clean live mussels

  1. In a large covered pan, add olive oil, red peppers, & garlic. Cook down over medium heat.

  2. Add white wine, jam, lemon juice, clementine juice, saffron, and olives. Cook for about 3-5 minutes so that alcohol is cooked off a bit. Taste and adjust seasoning, but remember the muscles will add more of seafood salt flavor.

  3. Add mussels cover and steam until mussels open up and all their lovely juices seep out. Approximately a minute or two. 

  4. Pour mussels and pan juices in to bowl. Enjoy.

Cold Soba Noodle Salad

Jan 272011
 
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This cold soba noodle salad can easily be addictive. Once you taste the cool fresh flavor of the vegetables and earthy noodles served with a fiery dressing you will be hooked.

Soba noodles are slurped down in train stations through out Japan, but also served in exclusive and specialty restaurants.  Soba noodles are used in soups, stews, and salads. I love how they come wrapped in serving sizes in a neat package. The preparation was done with so much care.  It makes me want to treat them with further respect, but this is one easy recipe. I boil up a serving size in the am and chill. By lunch the noodles are cooled enough to make the salad.

I make one bundle at a time because I will overeat them if I make more. I have no idea if they keep because they never last that long in my house. I am going to give you the recipe for one bowl of sumptuous goodness. I used zucchini on this day. Sometimes I use cucumbers and other times I just have the noodles with dressing and scallions. Let this be your guide and customize it your liking.

To cook noodles:

1. Place noodles in salted boiling water for 3-5 minutes. (Follow package directions)
2. Drain and then rinse with cold water until noodles are cool enough to touch.
3. Place in a bowl and coat noodles with 1 T. rice vinegar and 1 T. soy sauce. Place in fridge and chill.

When it comes to assembling the salad:

1. I use a julienne shredder to cut up a small zucchini.
2. Place zucchini shreds in bowl of chilled noodles.
3. Thinly slice 3-4 scallions. Placed in bowl.
4. Add 1/2 t. sesame oil, 1 t. sesame seeds, 1/2 t. sugar, 1 t. sriracha sauce to bowl. Toss all together.

Eggs are one of my favorite things and leaving the yolk soft adds some lovely creaminess to the salad as well as nice boost of protein. I call these hard boiled eggs with the soft middle…7-minute eggs. Add eggs to boiling water for seven minutes and then immediately cool down. Voile’ you have a seven minute egg. They keep well in the fridge. Adding a egg to this salad still make the entire dish under 250 calories.

Don’t forget to slurp your noodles really loudly while you are eating them, as they do in Japan, to show your enjoyment. Oh, this is so good. I might make it again tomorrow. Hope that you come by.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

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