Thai Noodles from Heaven

Happy hump day!!

So my boyfriend and I have decided to try to eat vegetarian a couple days a week. This was shockingly a mutual decision, however, I think I'm more excited about it. We all know how much I love vegetables. If we are succeeding, you will probably see several more vegetarian recipes to come. This one is vegetarian AND gluten free (whoop whoop!). The good news is you can very easily add meat. Or anything else you want. It's very versatile. Thai noodles are a "canvas" for culinary artwork, as my father would say... as are eggs.

ANYWAY... here's how you make it:

Total cook time: 30 minutes (NO LIE)
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

- 8 oz brown rice noodles(or whatever other noodles you want, but these are my fave and v nutritious)
- 2 eggs
- 1 small yellow squash, halved and sliced thin
- 1 small zucchini squash, halved and sliced thin
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
- 5 or 6(ish) mushrooms, sliced thin
- 1 small yellow onion
- handful shredded carrots
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- handful chopped cilantro
- handful of peanuts
- 1 bunch green onion
- 1/3 C low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- scant tbsp fresh shredded ginger (or dry powdered ginger, see note)
- 1 tbsp sriracha (or less, see note below)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tbsp olive oil

** I used to be afraid of fresh ginger. It looks like it shouldn't be edible because someone broke it off of a creepy tree. Fun fact: this is not the case. It is delicious. Just grab a little knob of it from the grocery store, slice off the brown part and shred away. It smells real nice. If you are afraid, I would use about a 1/2 tsp of the powdered ginger and see how that goes. I made it with fresh so that amount may not be perfect.

** I like spicy food but I don't like the kind of spicy food that requires you to drink lots of milk or cry afterwards. I like spicy food that is still flavorful. I like to taste more than fire. This amount of sriracha will give your noodles a lovely little flavorful kick without making you cry. If you are not a lover of spicy food, use less. You could probably also use none altogether if you are making this for children.

Directions:

- Boil noodles according to package directions (mine took 4 minutes, rice noodles are v delicate)
**Use the time you're waiting for water and noodles to boil to chop some veggies!
- Whisk eggs with red pepper flakes (if you're using them), heat a large skillet and scramble your eggs in a tbsp of olive oil.
- Drain noodles and leave them in the colander in the sink. When eggs are cooked through, put them aside. I put mine on top of my drained noodles for holding.
- Heat the same large skillet again over medium-high and add your remaining tbsp of olive oil and garlic.
- When garlic is fragrant, add the rest of your chopped veggies and cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. I like mine a little brown and charred. I find that the more infrequently I stir, the better they brown.
- While your veggies are cooking, mix your brown sugar, soy sauce, sriracha and grated ginger in a small bowl.
- Add noodles (and eggs if they're together) to the pot you boiled them in, pour your sauce on top and stir. This will allow your noodles to get un-sticky and covered in sauce before you combine with the veggies.
- When your noodles are well mixed in the sauce, transfer them to the large skillet and mix with the browned veggies.
- Serve hot topped with a sprinkle of cilantro, green onion and peanuts.

YUM. Enjoy!!

Chicken Noodle Soup (because you're cold and/or hungover)

Y'all.

It's chilly AF. Some of us have colds. Some of us just are cold. And some of us are probably hungover from a little too much holiday cheer (guilty). All of these sad predicaments bring us to the same healing pot of yum. Chicken noodle soup. This recipe is the conglomeration of a couple of recipes I found on Pinterest that take too long because they require a crockpot and one mystery "recipe" that belongs to my boyfriend's mother. She cooks straight from the heart though. Nothing recorded on paper and nothing measured. If I asked her for the recipe I would probably get a text response that looks like this: "Chicken, reames egg noodles, cream of chicken soup." So basically half a grocery list. Hey, I'll take what I can get!! She is brave too and boils a whole chicken to simultaneously cook her chicken and make the broth. Genius! Alas, I'm too much of a baby to handle entire bird carcasses, so I buy my chicken broth like a basic b*tch. Whichever way you decide to go about acquiring broth, definitely use Reames egg noodles because they are a gift from the Heavens and you will succeed if you use them - HOWEVER - they are very elusive and highly coveted so listen closely. Be prepared to go on a hunt that may require several grocery stores. I know you hate the grocery store but please persevere because it will be so worth it. BE STRONG, LITTLE NOODLE SEEKERS. Go to the freezer section of the grocery store. I most often find these gems in the "bread" section of the freezer with the dinner rolls and such. Look here first. If they are not with the bread, they will most likely be with the frozen tortellini and raviolis. If I can't find them here, I will continue to walk slowly up and down the freezer aisles searching because I'm afraid my store accidentally stocked them with the ice cream or the latkes and I really don't want to have to go to another store. But I always do. Because I am my mother. And because they are THAT good. I will say that I've had more luck at Publix than Kroger. Here is what they look like followed by the list of other ingredients because I'm done rambling about noodles:

Ingredients:

- 1.5 lb chicken, shredded
- 8 C chicken broth (low sodium)
- 2 C carrots, sliced thin
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 C celery, diced
- 2 packages Reames egg noodles
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup (I like the heart healthy variety)
- 1/2 tsp thyme (or less or none depending on your feelings about thyme, see note below)
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp pepper (or more to taste)
- 1 bay leaf (optional)

**For the record, I love thyme. I think it is delightful in this recipe. My boyfriend, however, is not a thyme fan. He is what we'll call a chicken noodle soup minimalist. He likes his chicken and his noodles and his salt and his pepper. This is perfectly acceptable. If you or your boo or your children are also chicken noodle soup minimalists, please leave out the thyme and save yourself some whining. Men already whine enough when they're sick, am I right??

Instructions:

- Heat butter or olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat
- Saute carrots, onion, and celery for about 7 minutes total or until carrots are tender; add garlic, thyme (if desired), oregano, salt and pepper after about 2 minutes
- Add chicken broth, cream of chicken soup and bay leaf (if desired)
- Bring broth to a boil and allow to simmer to let the flavors meld and the cream of chicken soup to incorporate (~10 minutes) Use this time to shred your chicken.
- Add shredded chicken and frozen noodles and simmer for 30+ more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove bay leaf if you added it and serve with red wine or pedialyte depending on your physical state.

**To reheat: Add some broth or water and microwave or heat in a pot on the stove. The noodles absorb some broth as it's stored so it will need some extra!

Stay warm, friends!!

Treat Yo'self Mac and Cheese

Happy Monday, y'all!

Today's recipe is the cheesiest most decadent mac and cheese you have ever put in your mouth. I realize that's a bold statement. And. It's. So. Easy. I can't take any credit for this but I don't actually know who to give credit to. I got it from my friend Kelly who got it from a girl in our community service sorority in college. I think it's safe to say that the sharing of this recipe is an act of community service in itself (weeeooop!!). It's made right in your crockpot! It's perfect for the holidays because it saves room in your oven and it feeds a crowd. I actually like to make this only when I'm feeding a crowd because otherwise I will eat it every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner with some cold bites from the fridge in between and that much Velveeta can't be good for anyone. I used this recipe last year for our SuperBowl party and did a mac and cheese bar! Let your guests build their own with toppings like buffalo chicken, broccoli, tomato, green onion, bleu cheese, and BACON. Another way this recipe has been successful is for friends who have had babies and need sustenance so they can survive never sleeping again. I make it in the crockpot (mix in some steamed broccoli sometimes because vitamins) and then transfer to aluminum pans with aluminum/cardboard lids for easy transport, freezing and heating up in the oven. So try it out and be the star of your next potluck!

Ingredients:

- 16oz elbow pasta
- 2lb Velveeta cheese, cubed (I used the 2% milk variety)
- 1 stick butter (cut into tablespoons after you butter the crockpot)
- 24 oz evaporated milk (I use 2%)
- 3 cups milk (I use 1%)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp salt

Instructions (pictures below):

- Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.
- Drain and toss in oil to prevent sticking.
- Butter your crockpot
- Add pasta to crockpot and top with the rest of the ingredients.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally

*I like to stir 1x per hour for the first two hours and then about every 30 minutes until the cheese is your desired consistency.

*If you are transporting or storing for the fridge/freezer, grease your pan and pour mac and cheese inside. Top with extra cheddar if you'd like! If you are taking it out of the crockpot, I would recommend leaving the cheese a little saucier so it stays moist and creamy.

Here is my buttered crockpot. I recommend a liner with this one because it gets MESSY.

This is what your mac and cheese will look like when all the ingredients have been added. Do not worry if it looks s(o)uper soupy. Once the Velveeta melts it will make magic.

This is about the consistency that I like to switch it to "warm" at. It will continue to get a little thicker as it sits before you serve. If serving immediately, I might let it get a little thicker. This photo was taken at 3.5 hours on low.

Enjoy, friends!!

Shepherd's Pie for the (somewhat) Health Conscious Lover of Comfort Food

Hello, beautiful people!!

It has been forever since I've actually made it to the "posting" stage of sharing a recipe. We have had family in town and then I went out of town and things have been crazy at work BUT I have been so excited to share this recipe that I can't even wait to take the time to take pictures of it. So, sorry, this one is picture-less - but let's be honest - shepherd's pie is probably too ratchet to doll up for a photo shoot anyway. It's got a stellar personality. #innerbeauty

When it's cold out my body just wants warm carbs. Can I get an "Amen"? My logical mind realizes that I could just put on another layer of clothes or drink some coffee, but my belly is screaming for something hot and cheesy. Then comes the vicious cycle of trying to avoid hot cheesy things and then giving in because what's self control and then we start all over. THE STRUGGLE ENDS HERE, FRIENDS! Here is my version of shepherd's pie that fulfills my winter cravings but doesn't make me feel like the Pillsbury Doughboy afterwards.

Shepherd's Pie for the (somewhat) Health Conscious Lover of Comfort Food 

Feeds: 8-10

Ingredients: 

For the potatoes:
- 2.5 lbs sweet potatoes cut into 1-2 inch pieces (peeled or unpeeled is fine)
- 2.5 lbs russet potatoes cut into 1-2 inch pieces (peeled or unpeeled is fine)
- 6 tbps butter
- 1 C milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp seasoning salt (use store bought or search a DIY recipe on Pinterest!)
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 C shredded cheddar cheese

For the filling:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1.5 lbs of lean ground beef or turkey
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 3/4 cup frozen green beans
- 2 C beef broth
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1-2 tsp Better than Bouillon, beef flavored (to taste)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- pepper to taste



Directions:

For the potatoes: Put your sweet and russet potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Heat on high until water is boiling and then turn down to medium. Continue boiling until potatoes are fork tender (20-25 min). Drain potatoes, add butter, and mash with a potato masher or use a mixer until they are nice and smooth. Add milk, salt, seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder & onion powder and stir. Cover and set aside.

*Note: This is my favorite mashed potato recipe ever. If you're feeling indulgent you can also add a 1/2 C of sour cream to treat yo'self. It's divine. The sweet potatoes add tons of vitamins, antioxidants and some extra dietary fiber to keep you full longer. The bold flavor of the sweet potato is made more mild when mixed with the regular russets so it doesn't taste so "healthy". So go ahead and give it a try! Sneak some complex carbs into your gravy-laden masterpiece because #balance. All seasonings are to taste so steal a spoonful and then adjust accordingly!

*If you have a thing against sweet potatoes then substituting russet will be just as delicious.

Preheat oven to 350

For the filling: Add 2 tbsp of butter to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. When butter is melted, add chopped carrots and onion. Let those bad boys soften for about 8 minutes until the carrots are tender. Add your raw beef or turkey to the skillet and cook until no longer pink. Add frozen green beans and peas once the meat is cooked through. Stir together your beef broth and corn starch in a small bowl until corn starch is dissolved. Pour mixture into the skillet with beef and veggies along with your Worcestershire sauce. Bring skillet to high heat and boil for about 5 minutes until your gravy thickens. This is where you get to do some tasting! Taste your mixture and determine whether you would like for your gravy to have a stronger flavor. If the answer is "yes", add your Better than Bouillon one teaspoon at a time by stirring well into the boiling mixture and tasting after each addition. When you have reached perfection, remove your meat and veggie mixture from the heat.

Pour your beef and veggie mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish (the deeper the better!). Top with your mashed potatoes and spread evenly. Sprinkle your cheddar cheese over the top of the casserole. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 and then broil for 5-10 more depending on how browned you like your cheese. I have also halved this recipe in a half size dish with no problem if you are not planning on feeding a small country or if you hate leftovers.

ENJOY, FRIENDS!

PSA: My aunt made this last week and hers looks stunning. Go, Kath!!

Evidence: