Noodle Bowls

Noodle bowls came into our repertoire a year or two ago, probably about this time of year because we're all longing for something crisp and fresh and the egg rolls (which are crisp) and the herbs (which are as fresh as it gets in February) really hit the spot.

While I have a recipe card for this (note to self, it's an actual CARD in the recipe box), I follow about half of it so here's the more accurate version. 

Ingredients:

(all of the vegetables are optional but you'll want at least two) -- Chop these into tiny pieces

one carrot

one cucumber

one green onion

1/3 or a red or orange pepper

two bok choy leaves with stems

Roughly chop these --  an handful of each: mint, parsley, cilantro, basil

Mix this all together:

1 T brown sugar or cane sugar

1/2 T red chili paste

4 T of water

1 T soy sauce (for your non meat eating friends) OR 

1 T of fish sauce (or a little of both if you forgot to read this recipe all the way through and are just adding things as you get to them - and don't pretend that's not happening on a pretty regular basis)

2 T of lime juice

Brown with salt and pepper 1 lb of tofu sliced into whatever bite size chunk suites you

Cook in well salted water, rice noodles or ramen noodles - enough to feed everyone who is eating. Drain and rinse with cool water

Ask your spouse to pick up egg rolls on the way home from your favorite take out place. Chop them up into little pieces

Everyone in the family gets to make their own bowl