Crunchy Noodle Salad

Note: I was sent coupons from Nasoya in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.

Despite working from home for nearly a year now, I feel like I have less time to cook! I have a feeling I’m not alone, so I wanted to share a healthy, quick, and comforting recipe for a yummy Crunchy Noodle Salad that you can get on the dinner table in ~40 minutes.

This Crunchy Noodle Salad is made with glass noodles, sugar snap peas, shredded carrots, bell peppers, and crispy tofu tossed in a yummy peanut dressing, and can be served at room temperature or cold, so it makes for a great dinner-plus-leftovers option.

Don’t let the whole vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free part of this recipe throw you, it will fill you up! I this recipe uses Nasoya’s Organic Super Firm Tofu that delivers 15g of protein per serving to keep you full. Nasoya’s Organic Super Firm Tofu is also pre-pressed and drained so it’s perfect for quick dinners. Plus Nasoya’s Organic Super Firm Tofu is non-GMO project verified, USDA organic, cholesterol free, gluten free, and made with no preservatives. Nasoya is widely available in most grocery stores; I stopped into my local Shop Rite (it’s also available locally in Philly at Walmart Supercenters, Giant and Giant Heirloom Markets, The Fresh Grocer, and Wegmans), plus you can use their store locator to find which local grocers near you carry it.

Ingredients (serves 4):

  • 6 oz glass noodles
  • 8 oz sugar snap peas
  • 1 package Nasoya Organic Super Firm Tofu, cubed
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
  • 1 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
  • 2 scallions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup tamari (or low sodium soy sauce if you don’t need this recipe to be gluten-free)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon roasted white sesame seeds, plus more for garnish

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Slow Cooker Beef Ramen

So I’ve been feeling pretty crummy for the past few days. And I’ve been craving soups like crazy. One of my favorite options when I want a comforting meal is ramen, specifically Shio-style from Nom Nom Ramen in center city Philadelphia.

When I saw Betsy Life did a version of Ramen in her slow cooker, I knew I wanted to try as well!

Ramen is typically made with pork belly, but I couldn’t find any in my supermarket so I went with beef. So this Slow Cooker Beef Ramen is definitely not a traditional style ramen.

This recipe is adapted from BetsyLife.com

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs beef chunk roast
  • 32 oz container low sodium beef broth, plus 1/4 cup, divided
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce — if not it will be too salty
  • ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste
  • The juice of 1 lime
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used 1 cup shiitake caps and 1 cup baby bella)
  • 1 pack Chinese-style noodles (Chuka Soba)
  • Cilantro, sliced green onions, jalapeños, lime wedges, nori (seaweed), etc. for garnish

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Lobster Rolls with Shaved Fennel and Citrus

This year’s South Street Spring Festival is right around the corner!

On Saturday, May 3 from 11:00 to 8:00 pm, eight blocks of South Street will showcase the best restaurants, bars, food trucks, live music, and shopping the street has to offer at a huge block party! The free, all-ages Spring Festival will be held on South Street between Front and 8th and will also run along the 2nd Street Plaza between South and Lombard. There will also be three main stages and eight other performance areas along the festival featuring live music.

 

During the Festival, Brauhaus Schmitz will also host their second annual German Maifest on the 700 block of South Street featuring German beers, dancers, music, food, flower headbands and even a May pole!

 

 

I was invited to attend a media preview at Brahaus Schmitz and got to taste and sip some of the offerings you can find at the Festival.

 

Everything was delicious! Be sure to look out for the sausage and potato salad from Brauhaus Schmitz, the Shepard’s Pie from Cavanaugh’s Headhouse, the Short Rib Tacos from Bridget Foy’s, the Sliders from Redwood, and the Lobster Rolls from Headhouse Crab and Oyster. Twisted Tail was also serving up Mint Juleps which should not be missed!

 

We also got to learn some German dance moves! Many thanks to all the chefs, mixologists, and everyone else who helped make the media event a success!

 

I decided to try my own hand at making a Lobster Roll and found this recipe for Lobster Rolls with Shaved Fennel and Citrus in Cooking Light’s Global Kitchen Cookbook. These are a bit different from the Headhouse Crab & Oyster ones so be sure to check out their version at the Festival!

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups coarsely chopped cooked lobster meat
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 1 medium bulb)
  • the zest from one orange
  • 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 6 New England hot dog buns

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