Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Swamp Dinner - for when I'm swamped with tasks, that is...



Have you missed me?  You might've noticed, or maybe not (even worse!) that it's been slim pickins' for posts from me this month... and just a month after I promised more frequent posting.  Tsk tsk on me.  [Warning: excuse follows] It's a very busy time at the company I work for, which just so happens to coincide with an uptick in the myriad of things due for classes this semester.  My hands have begun to take on a smooth, powdery feeling from handling so much paper as I move it from one pile.. to another pile... to the waste bin or, if they're lucky, the rest home where all good papers go to die: a crisp manila folder.

I know I shouldn't complain. I will admit to smiling to myself, even, as I careen around Chicago from one train to the next - shaking my mittens at the fresh sheet of snow that hides the slick ice beneath.  It's ridiculous in a way.  This is temporary, this wandering around in a fog of bibliographies and spreadsheets fueled with a steady diet of bad coffee.  Work will slow up, as will school.   And there are always good things to remember.  Basic things like love, and warm socks... and yes, food.  Always food.

So what do I eat during these times?  Lots of quick stuff, obviously.  Things that don't require much thought, certainly.  Things that aren't apt to be so heavy as to make me fall asleep onto my laptop, definitely.  Basically, that means a "if you can boil water" meal.   And boil water is exactly what I do.  That means rice/pasta/noodles + veggies + sauce/flavorings.  Normally this is great tasting, quick... but not exactly picture-worthy or recipe-worthy.  Last night, however, I looked down at my bowl, blurry-eyed with reading, and decided to get out my camera...

I am not going to write a recipe for this, because it's meant for the sorts of nights when recipes are not to be fussed with.  And frankly, I'm just too tired for it, my dear people, and I'm afraid it would come out in APA style (horrible academic joke).  I'll just spare you this and tell you the very simple steps...
  1. Put water on boil (or broth if you're feeling industrious)
  2. Add soba noodles
  3. Add vegetables - in this case, Chinese broccoli and some purple cauliflower I found at the market
  4. Boil on until the noodles are done (veggies will comply and be ready at the same time)
  5. Add flavor - I used good soy sauce, sesame oil and kimchi
It's so pretty, isn't it? 

Now *book spine cracking*, I'm going to get back to it...

17 comments:

  1. Now that is a beautiful bowl of noodles :)

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  2. It tasted very good, too, I can assure you!

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  3. It looks gorgeous! ...and very tasty. :)

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  4. Hmm APA style. I think I remember that from writing essays...

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  5. That does look gorgeous - even if I am as fascinated by the purple cauliflower as I am freaked out :D I know, I know...grapes and yam are purple too! Shame on me ;)

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  6. Amazing colors to brighten your snowy world. I've been looking at the purple cauliflower in the market, here in Sicily, perhaps its time to try it.

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  7. I love these quick dinners which can be done in minutes and still look & taste stunning. That bowl of soba noodles looks like it came from Hello Kitty's kitchen (this is good... because I love Hello Kitty). It is soooooo pretty and colourful... the kinda food you don't really want to eat because it's just so pretty to look at. But then again, I'm not sure I'd be able to resist the aroma of sesame oil coming from it. I have no self-control.

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  8. Incredible colors. Congrats on Top 9!
    LL

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  9. That bowl looks amazing! I love the colors and the fact that you used kimchi to add flavor, it has such a great taste!

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  10. I love things like this. And the bowl is lovely. I like me some oriental crockery!

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  11. Sounds Really Good........ For chopsticks

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  12. Looks lovely, as the others have said. Thanks for writing about this--because the food we eat when we're tired is a great time to be healthy and it needs to be easy. Nice one.

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  13. those purple cauliflower are gorgeous!

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  14. What a pretty dinner. Pretty easy, that is! (boom boom)

    No really, it is also pretty.

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  15. just beautiful...

    sweetlife

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  16. Fabulous -- these are totally the kinds of meals I end up making in a pinch, and they're often the most satisfying. My quick meals aren't this lovely, as mine are more like a fried egg over some rice with a drizzle of soy sauce. It makes me think of breakfast with my family, so my basic cravings always go back to the basic meals. I love how many different ingredients you put together here!

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Thanks for commenting - I'm always happy to hear from you!

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