Curried Noodles

Chewy rice noodles coated in a zesty curry sauce paired with savory minced broccoli and mushrooms, with a little spicy Thai kick!

The days grow longer up here in The Last Frontier and I relish in the evening light. Somedays, if it's sunny out, I don't even have to use the artificial lamp! Now that, is a wonderful thing. Natural light is so easy. It's moody and authentic and it's beauty always surprises me. It permisses my creative spirit to shine. Moods lift and souls sing. Is there nothing a little ray sunshine can't do?

However, with summer on my heels, like a glass of spilled milk...worry slowly slinks and seeps into every nook of my brain, pooling heavily in each chamber of my heart. It creeps along until it's completely encompassing and before I knew what hit me I'm utterly freaking out about summer's imminent arrival.

I'm usually not so candid...but it's been a stressful and overwhelming time over here. Not in a bad way though. In a very good way, in fact. Terribly delicious and happy things have been in the works for Todd and I, and they all culminate this summer. A dream home on a dream piece of property, for one. We are just beginning to clear the land now! And something else...more secretive.  Life changing, both of these things. Both pressing on me to rush, rush, rush, but my decisions and efforts must be top notch, but still, please... the deadlines, get ahead while I can and make it easier on my future self! I don't do well under pressure. I can't. I need time to digest things and research the best way to do this and the most rational method for that. It's a nuisance at best and incredibly taxing at worst, but it's a part of me that I wouldn't wish away. 

So, crushed under the weight of all these menacing and bullying whispers, what do I decide to do? Take a vacation. Yep, it's probably the worst timing I could have chosen but I'm telling that little voice inside my head that panics, "Katie! What are you doing? You don't have time for this! You can't go to Kauai! This is a mistake. Oh dear, you'll regret this later. I told you so." to talk to the hand. I'm only able to justify this trip as quasi-necessary because I'm going for a radiology conference (work is paying for a portion of the trip)...and well, my sanity is at stake.

For now, I'll leave the dramatics at the door and lend you this recipe for my curried noodles. A soul soothing dish for even the most frazzled of stressed-out worrywarts.  When in doubt, eat your feelings. Oh wait, no...don't do that...

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”

— Nelson Mandela

Curried Noodles

Chewy rice noodles coated in a zesty curry sauce paired with savory minced broccoli and mushrooms, with a little spicy Thai kick! Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

• 6 oz pad thai rice noodle sticks, dry
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 large yellow onion, rough chopped
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp red curry paste
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 6 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large head of broccoli, florets only
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegan sugar
• ½ tbsp lime zest
• ½ tbsp lemon zest
• 1 lime, juiced (2 tbsp)
• ½ lemon, juiced (2 tbsp)
• 4 green onions, cut on the diagonal
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Cooking Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil for the noodles. Once boiling, remove from heat and add the noodles. Allow to soak for about 20-30 minutes, until tender. Once ready, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Heat the coconut oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium. Add the onion to a food processor and process until finely chopped. Transfer to the skillet and sauté for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add the crushed red pepper and garlic. Sauté about 5 more minutes.
3. Now, add the curry powder through and including the tomato paste. Stir well to incorporate. Add the sliced mushrooms to the skillet and sauté until browned and shrunken, about 5-10 minutes.
4. Pulse the broccoli in the food processor until finely chopped and transfer it to the skillet. Stir well. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, and stir to combine. Add the broth and soy sauce. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce to a simmer. Stir occasionally while cooking for about 15 minutes, until the broccoli is tender.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the citrus zest and juices. Add the tender noodles to the skillet and stir well to combine. Top with the green onions and cilantro.
6. Serve hot.

So we are going to Kauai in a few days! Any tips and/or food suggestions, beach recommendations, etc.?

Dutch Word of The Day

Farming --> landbouw (land-bow*) *like as in "take a bow"

Information for The Day

"You don’t have to be a vegan to be repulsed by an account in The Times revealing the moral depths to which the federal government — working as a handmaiden to industrial agriculture — has sunk in pursuit of cheaper meat and fatter corporate profits." Our government hard at work. Vote with your fork and be informed. A quick article from the New York Times, "Farming Science, Without the Conscience."