meatless monday: noodle bowl

It's finally feeling like fall on the east coast! I love slurping warm soup on a cool day out of a big bowl. I made this soup the other night and it was positively delish. It contains udon noodles (Japanese buckwheat noodles) and tofu, as well as plenty of veggies, so it's super satisfying and hearty.

Things to note: this recipe does call for oyster sauce and chicken broth, which do not make this meal entirely meatless if you're being strict. Feel free to substitute veggie broth. Oyster sauce does contain fermented dried oyster - again, if you're not comfortable using this, there are vegetarian options available (for example, Sin Tai Hing Vegetarian Oyster Sauce or Soy Sauce with Mushroom by Healthy Boy Brand).

Udon with Tofu and Stir-Fried Vegetables

Kosher salt
3/4 lb. dried udon noodles
3 cups lower-salt chicken broth
1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. oyster sauce
1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. rice vinegar
4 tsp. Asian sesame oil
1/4 cup minced fresh ginger
2 Tbs. canola oil
3/4 lb. bok choy, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces (4 cups)
3-1/2 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced (1-1/2 cups)
1/2 lb. extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks
3 medium scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, for garnish

photo courtesy of Fine Cooking

Bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook, stirring, until tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a colander and run under cold water to cool slightly. Drain well.

In a medium bowl, mix the chicken broth, oyster sauce, vinegar, and 2 tsp. of the sesame oil.

Heat the ginger and canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the ginger sizzles steadily for about 30 seconds. Add the bok choy and mushrooms, sprinkle with the remaining 2 tsp. sesame oil and 3/4 tsp. salt and cook, tossing after 1 minute, until the bok choy turns dark green and begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth mixture, tofu, and carrots and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the carrots are soft and the tofu is heated through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Distribute the noodles among 4 bowls. Spoon the vegetables, tofu, and broth over the noodles. Sprinkle with the scallions and serve.

Enjoy!

Love,
The East Coast Muse

meatless monday: slooooow food

Meatless Monday isn't just about going without meat - it's about celebrating "slow" food, food that is grown locally, is fresh and takes time to prepare. Chances are if you don't live in California like the West Coast Muse, you relish any opportunity to score fresh, locally-grown produce on the cheap. I, the East Coast Muse, and my dear husband have recently signed up for produce box delivery through Washington's Green Grocer. A box of produce in a size our little family can handle is delivered every Thursday to our building. We get an email four days prior letting us know what's going to be in our box (perfect for meal planning), and if we're ever out of town we can cancel our box for that week. There's no contract or obligation, so if it ever gets to be too much, we have the option to cancel without charge or agitation. The variety of goodies that come in the box is tremendous, and I'm having so much fun trying vegetables I've never actually purchased or cooked before (e.g. beets - I love beets but I've never actually cooked them before! Those were fun). I find that the fruit does get to be a bit much for us, but a clever solution I've discovered is to chop it up and put it into Ziploc bags in the freezer - add milk and ice, and a smoothie can be prepared anytime and on the quick.

What about you, faithful readers? How do you celebrate "slow" food?

Now, lest you walk away disappointed at a schpeel rather than fun, know that we wouldn't be the Muses if we didn't leave you with some parting goodies. We would like to share two delectable recipes for you today: eggplant dippers with marinara (courtesy SkinnyTaste.com) and Carrot Cake Sandwiches (from A Cozy Kitchen). Check them out and let us know what you think!

Cheers to slow, meatless cooking, baking and eating!

photo courtesy SkinnyTaste.com



photo courtesty ACozyKitchen.com

white jeans after Labor Day? YES WE CAN!

It's almost Fall, which makes this little East Coast Muse giddy with excitement: boots and trenches and sweaters, oh my! (This, of course, isn't really the same for our sweet West Coast Muse, who, thanks to San Francisco's perpetually-brisk weather, gets to wear boots and tights any ole time she likes) But Fall's fast approach also brings on the whole "wear-your-summer-stuff-now-because-it's-almost-Labor-Day" dilemma. I've spotted multiple ladies at the office this week wearing every piece of white clothing in their wardrobe.

HOWEVER -- while getting my shoulder iced yesterday afternoon at the PT office, I flipped through the September issue of InStyle magazine. In it, they answered a reader’s question by saying YES – you CAN wear white jeans* after Labor Day. Only stipulation: style them differently for fall/winter. We suggest pairing them with some dark chunky boots, a camel-colored trench or a long-sleeved button-down (even chambray!).

Enzo Angiolini Alessi Bootie, Classic Khaki Banana Republic Trench, Lucky Brand Ashbury Floral Top, J Crew Selvedge Chambray

The rules are changin', ladies! And yes, if you happen to live on the East Coast, you will see me sporting my white jeans well into late fall/winter.

*please note: if you own white jeggings, go ahead and throw them into the trash now. no need to hang onto those nuisances.