Fresh Rolls

Vacation is over.  The Grind has been revisited and will continue to be the mode of living through mid-December.  If I'm lucky, I'll be able to share recipes and ideas here once a week or so, and if I'm even luckier, my transcript will be overloaded with 4.0's.  Wouldn't that be grand.

The first week back to classes and work was a doozy.  It borders on madness in the hallways between classes as students attempt to navigate their way to the next session of powerpoint and lecture.  My two classes on campus are geographically as far from one another as they can be on our little campus, and I have just ten minutes to rush down four flights of stairs, power-walk to the building next door, and book-it up another four flights to get to my second class.  A bathroom pit stop is out of the question.  The door to class #2 is locked promptly at 11 am.  Be there, or be square.

With the onslaught of my school schedule comes the necessity for quick, easy meals.  Lunches must be packed and dinners must be relatively hurried affairs.  No more 3 hour sagas of meal prep in the evenings for awhile, so I've been busting out my repertoire of simple, healthy (gotta keep that immune system up, what with flu-season rapidly approaching) recipes. Fresh rolls (sometimes called 'summer rolls') have become my new favorite thing.  I guess I'm reluctant to give up on summertime.  I want to savor the last of the lettuce, cucumber, and warm-weather herbs while I can. 

Miso Hungry

I think I'm obsessed with soup. That steamy, warm, brothy goodness is taking over my diet in one form or another, making its way into my meals with increasing frequency. I crave thick stews, heavy with beans and vegetables and yearn for noodles drowning in herbed stocks (think broth, not Wall Street). This winter has been ripe with experimentation in the realm of meals that require bowls and spoons.

For days when I have a hankering for soup but need to go easy on the time expenditure, I came up with this spin on Vietnamese Pho. Maybe I shouldn't make that comparison at all, given this recipe's lack of beef tendon and bean sprouts, but the rice noodles and veggies call it to mind for me.

My version uses a miso broth (excellent for aid in digestion - hello, friendly flora!), greens, carrots, garlic and cayenne. It's simple, delicious and a breeze to make. Feel free to slurp.



Miso Rice Noodle Soup
1 serving (can easily be increased for friends)

thin rice noodles (about a handful)
2 T. miso paste (I use white miso)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 C. packed, chopped kale leaves
cayenne

Boil water in a small saucepan, and cook noodles according to package directions. Drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water. Place the noodles in the serving bowl and set aside.

Heat about 1 1/2 C. of water in the saucepan and add the miso paste. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the miso, and then reduce heat to medium. Add the garlic and cayenne, and simmer for a couple of minutes. Then toss in the carrots and kale. Allow the veggies to cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring a few times.

Pour the broth and veggies over the noodles and serve steaming hot.

The variations for this soup are pretty endless. Add any vegetables you like, fresh herbs, bean sprouts, tofu, etc., etc.

Little Time

My relatively new life as a college student has taught me some things, many directly related to my studies, but many the byproduct of late nights and early mornings with classes, work and study time crammed in between. In other words, I'm busier than I've been in years, and this schedule has forced me to rewire my typically relaxed routines.

Take grocery shopping. I used to stop at the store on my way home from work on a daily basis. I'd decide what I wanted to have for dinner on the spot and then head for the kitchen to make it happen. I made one night meals knowing that I'd have the time to cook again on the morrow. That is no longer my reality. Shopping is now a weekly event that takes into account the menu that I have planned for the week, most of which includes several days of leftovers. How would the world continue its turning without leftovers? I would surely parish.

With the avoidance of my own demise in mind, I've come up with several one-pot meals that can be made on a less stressful evening to ensure that when I am overwhelmed with research papers and math exams, the fridge contains food that can be reheated and eaten in fifteen minutes time. Here is one of my favorites from that list of dishes.

Indian Rice with Garbanzos and Greens
4-6 servings
(vegan & gluten free:)

1 C. brown jasmine rice (or your favorite rice)
2 C. vegetable broth
1 C. diced onion
1/2 C. diced celery
2 T. garam masala (an Indian spice)
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. tumeric
2 cardomom pods
2 cloves garlic, miced
1/2 tsp. cayenne (less or more depending on your spice tolerance)
1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained (or 1 1/2 C. cooked garbanzos)
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (or 1 1/2 C. diced fresh tomatoes)
approx. 2 C. coarsely chopped kale or collard greens
1 C. coconut milk
salt to taste

To prepare the rice, I use a rice cooker, adding the rice and broth and flipping the switch. Alternately, you can prepare the rice in a pot on the stove according to package directions.


While the rice is cooking, in large skillet with tall sides, heat oil over medium and add onion. Cook, stirring for a couple of minutes, and then throw in the celery. Cook a few minutes more.
Add the garam masala, coriander, turmeric, the contents of the cardamom pods (discard the shells), garlic and cayenne. Stir the veggies and spices, cooking for another couple of minutes.

Add the garbanzo beans and tomatoes to the skillet and stir. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Toss in the chopped greens, stir, and allow to simmer for 2 minutes more.

Pour the coconut milk into the skillet and mix well with the veggies and beans. By this time, the rice should be done and can be added to the the skillet. Stir well, taste and season with salt if necessary (this will depend on the salt content of the broth you used to prepare the rice). You're ready to eat tonight and for several evenings to come.


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Wow, I must be busy. I forgot to add the tomatoes to the dish pictured above. All this knowledge I'm gaining is apparently making me lose my mind.