Sesame-Ginger Pork with Soba Noodles

These days, I'm almost always in a hurry.

But, of course, so are you.

We're all busy.

And busy people like us need fast food.

And not just fast food... but good food.

Food that tastes good, and is good.

Food to keep us going, so we can stay busy.

Hello lovely.

This bowl of goodness is just what the doctor ordered.

It's fast... takes less than 30 minutes, in fact.

It tastes good... really good, actually. Toasty sesame oil, spicy ginger, fresh cilantro, salty, succulent, irresistible sauce over totally slurpable noodles and juicy pork... hungry yet?

And it is good. At only 415 calories per serving, it'll fill you up without slowing you down. You know... so you can stay busy.

Make it. Eat it. Love it. Go!

Szechwan Beef Stir Fry

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you've probably realized that I love a good stir fry recipe. Just like soup, the possibilities seem endless... there's so much potential in the simple combination of meat and vegetables mixed with a flavorful sauce over rice. Stir fry recipes also fulfill two very important requirements for me during the busy school week - they're usually quick, and almost always healthy. And, especially in this case, they're usually damn tasty.

You've also likely figured out by now that Dane can be a picky eater. He's usually willing to at least try something he's not sure he'll like, but he and I don't always agree on what counts as the most delicious meal ever. This was one new recipe that he absolutely loved. No having to talk him into this one - he loved it at first bite. And for good reason! The sweet but complex flavors in the sauce - thank you hoisin! - make this a truly remarkable dish. Plus I think he just loved that I cooked something with beef for a change. :)

Since we like to take leftovers for lunch the next day, I found that the original recipe didn't make quite enough for us. So, the proportions I've listed in my rendition of the recipe are doubled, but you could easily halve them again if you find this is too much for you. But if you love this recipe as much as Dane and I do, you'll appreciate the extra portions.

Asian Three-Bean Salad

Yesterday's irresistible teriyaki chicken thighs deserved a worthy side. Rice seemed like a no-brainer, but we eat so much rice and chicken that I could hardly stomach the thought of creating yet another chicken and rice dinner. Plus the flavorful chicken begged for something light and healthy and not too strongly flavored itself. A salad seemed like a logical choice but I knew Dane wouldn't go for plain greens, especially when the only dressing he really likes is thousand island (talk about a terrible combo with teriyaki... yuck). Then I came across this quick and easy three-bean "salad" recipe, and I knew we had a winner!

Now, the dressing I used for this salad is not what the original recipe called for... at all. The original recipe had a lot of canola oil, a little rice vinegar, and some apricot preserves - which sounds good and all, but I'm glad I tasted it before I poured it all over the beans, because it was way, way bland. All I could taste was the canola oil, and who wants that? I knew Dane certainly wouldn't eat it, and I was going to be lucky to get him to eat a side consisting of veggies and beans in the first place (as I'm sure you're figuring out, Dane is kind of a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy). So, since we both love the teriyaki sauce so much I thought, "why not use it for the dressing?" I made the exact same sauce I'd used to marinate the chicken (not the actual sauce I marinated the chicken in, don't worry) and added a little toasted sesame oil for an extra-special touch, and voila! A star was born.

My first thought upon digging into this plate of healthy goodness was that it would be perfect for a summer barbeque. It's best served at room temperature, in my opinion, but you could just as easily eat it chilled, and there's little worry about spoilage at warm temps since it doesn't contain any mayonnaise or eggs. Plus it has all of the lovely crunch of a good green salad without boring you to death or requiring gratuitous amounts of ranch dressing! Dane didn't care much for the black beans (go figure), so I think I'll keep playing around with it and maybe sub in some sugar snap peas next time in their place. Garbanzo beans could be a nice substitution too, since they tend to retain some crunch unlike the mushy black beans. The possibilities are endless! Try it yourself, and I guarantee you'll be hooked.

Sesame-Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

Today was a day deserving of a good glass of wine. Last week consisted of working 28 hours on top of classes and clinical, taking an online midterm that consisted of 7 essay questions and annihilated 5 hours of my time, and cramming for my lab midterm. Today I took said lab midterm and managed to not bomb it completely (at least I hope)... and I interviewed for my dream job! My interview went extremely well, so, with any luck, you may see me on here gloating about it in a few days! So between the stress of life and midterms and the excitement about my career, I felt a good glass of wine was definitely in order. (...and perhaps a nice, relaxing bath later too, tehe.)

A day like today is also deserving of a scrumptious dinner. Now, before I share I must admit, I'm totally in love with this sauce. I'm almost tempted to claim it as a family secret and lock it away from the rest of the world, it's that good. Not that that would work though, considering Ellie Krieger's too busy blabbing about it in her book and on the Food Network website... but nevermind. Before this recipe came into our lives Dane and I used to get our teriyaki fix from store-bought Lawry's marinade, but no more! This sauce has everything we loved about Lawry's - sweet and just a little salty, with a hint of tasty vinegar - with the satisfaction of being homemade. And it's insanely easy to make... seriously, just dump and stir. It comes together in about the time it takes to get the freshness seal off the Lawry's bottle. And from this simple little sauce comes endless possibilities, from these satisfying marinated chicken thighs to kebabs on the grill, even to a simple dressing for an asian three-bean salad to go with said chicken thighs (recipe coming tomorrow). Try it once and you'll see what I mean... guaranteed, you'll fall in love too!

Chicken Chop Suey

I have no intention of turning this blog into a food/calorie journal, but I must confess, I ate very well last week. I put some old habits back into practice and found that getting back to eating healthy really is mostly about finding a good routine! The trick for me seems to be deciding what I'm going to eat for the whole day (including snacks) before I even put anything in my mouth... so that way if I'm tempted to eat, say, one of those cookies sitting in the break room, I already know that my calories are spent and I have other tasty, healthier options waiting for me at their pre-scheduled time. It's not the most terribly fulfilling way to eat, but it is better for health as well as my waistline. And most importantly... it's what works for me. :)

Well, after that wonderfully empowering week of healthy eating, I opted to let loose a little on Saturday when I spent the evening with my sister. We went to one of my favorite restaurants back home - which no restaurant in my new hometown has yet to compare to - and I guiltlessly enjoyed a deep-fried egg roll with my usual fried rice and pork chow mein. It really was a satisfying treat, especially since I don't get to eat them very often. And I probably could have gotten away with one gluttonous meal for the weekend... if I hadn't promptly come home on Sunday and eaten way too many of the delicious, cream cheese-laden taquitos I made for lunch, haha. Then, in an unfortunate turn of events, I stopped at McDonald's for dinner on my way in between hospitals during my evening shift, knowing that I wouldn't have time to stop at the hospital cafeteria before having to get report. Tisk, tisk. This, my friends, is precisely the kind of situation I usually avoid with a little pre-planning. Oh well.

So, I figured that after a weekend of pure pigging out, it was time to jump back on the healthy-eating bandwagon. My food planner is all nice and filled out for the week, complete with perfectly-portioned meals and well-balanced snacks, to set myself up for success. And this meal I share with you was the perfect way to get my week of healthy eating off to a good start.

Cashew Chicken

Just about everyone knows that when you're trying to eat healthy, stir fry is a good way to go. Minimal amount of oil, healthy veggies, rice... I mean c'mon, does it get healthier than that? But, unfortunately, no one is going to get excited about a bland bowl of vegetables and rice, so a flavorful sauce is a must. And that sauce is just one of the many reasons I love this dish.

I found this recipe through Eat Better America, on a free calender they sent me last year. Its arrival came at the perfect time because I was really getting tired of my own beginner's version of stir fry sauce, which sadly consisted of nothing more than chicken broth, corn starch, and way too much soy sauce. Having never used rice vinegar before, I remember being apprehensive about trying this dish... but the rice vinegar turned out to be my favorite part of the sauce! Combined with the small amount of sugar, it creates a wonderful little sweet-and-sour effect that is quite addicting. These days I find myself looking for new ways to use rice vinegar, so please feel free to share if you have any ideas!

With the spring semester now in full swing, fast meals that reheat well are also a must. I'm happy to say that this dish only takes about half an hour from start to finish, including prep work... in fact, if you use brown rice, the rice may take the longer to cook than the stir fry itself! But time rewards those who plan ahead, so feel free to use leftover rice or cook it the day before (chances are it will soak up more of the sauce too, hehe). Plus, this recipe is a great, healthier way to curb that Asian food craving, in about the same time it would take the delivery boy to show up from that greasy take out restaurant across town.