Shiitake Spinach Soba Fry

I was never aware of all the cool, healthy things hanging around my pantry and chilling in the distant corners of my fridge. You all know what I’m talking about. Our life gets super busy; buying new and exciting things at the grocery store puts a smile on our face; and those so-called “older” items get pushed to the corners.

Since I’m leaving for New York for 2.5 months, I’ve gone on this crazy rage to consume everything in sight (the extreme heat does not do wonders for un-processed food, but to me, that’s a good sign). Little did I know, I had these great prunes sitting on a dark, dungy shelf of the fridge. I soaked them overnight (will consume tomorrow). Prunes are a great way to move the digestion around a bit, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I want to tell you about this great dinner I whipped up by using up whatever was in the fridge. I was a little full today, so mind you, it’s a light dinner. On a normal day, it would make a great side!

Shiitake Spinach Soba Fry

50 grams of soba noodles

100 grams of frozen organic spinach (I prefer fresh, but I wanted to finish up the packet that was lying in the fridge)

5 dried shiitake mushrooms (I washed and soaked these overnight; squeeze out the water before using). Note: Make sure to chop off the stems of the mushrooms.

5 grams of fresh ginger

1 teaspoon of miso

Seasonings: Toasted sesame oil, Tamari

Sesame seeds, toasted

Peanut oil

Thinly slice the ginger and mushrooms. Add hot water to the miso to make a nice, watery paste. Put peanut oil in the pan. Once hot, add the ginger. Allow to get fragrant and add the mushrooms. Toss until the mushrooms become soft. Add the spinach. Once the spinach is cooked (don’t cook too long,; you don’t want to lose the nutrients!), add the miso paste. Toss the soba noodles in as well. Lower the flame to low and allow to cook for 2 minutes. Garnish with tamari, toasted sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Voila!

I only made enough for one person. So, if you are making for more people, please adjust the quantities accordingly. I challenge you to use your intuition and scrap the given quantities. It makes the cooking process even more fun. What a satisfying, healthy dinner!

The Sighting of Organic Celery.

I’m back to Muscat for a few days before I head to New York (hip hip hooray!) this Saturday. But, one of the most exciting moments since I’ve been back is the sighting of organic celery at Al-Fair (one of the major grocery stores in Muscat). I picked up some for my salad sticks and juicing – all ready to clean out before getting ready to eat at my favorite places back in the Big Apple.

Organic Veggie Box + Kale = Too good to be true.

Blue Planet Green People is creating a lot of joy in my life. This new, quaint health-food shop in Jumeriah Lake Tower (JLT) in Dubai has just made my ‘life in perpetual transition’ that much easier. And, it is just a hop-skip-jump from my home. Now, I know where to go when a dark chocolate intense craving arises.

The other day, I ordered the organic veggie box (they deliver, as well) because the thought of customizing your own veggie box is that much more exciting. And, even better – they had kale on their menu! I think it’s that American in me who gets super happy seeing kale. If you live or lived on this side of the world, you would know how tough it can be to find this mother of all green, leafy vegetables. In celebration of finding kale, I stir-fried the kale in a bit of garlic (couldn’t experiment too much, since I keep very few ingredients in my transit home). This simple stir-fry was so great on its own; I even threw some in the hubster’s omelet breakfast sandwich. And, he actually loved it (he has never tasted kale before)! I kind of wish I had more stir-fried kale to throw into the fridge for when that random hunger pang arises.

Quick Stir-Fry Kale

One bunch of kale

One clove of garlic

Remove the stem of each leaf. Wash the leaves. Chop into pieces. Chop the garlic into slivers. Throw the garlic into a pan with hot oil. Allow to get fragrant; toss in the kale. Remove when cooked.

Thank you Blue Planet Green People! You do such great work. Blue Planet Green People, Dubai. http://blueplanetgreenpeople.com/

   

In Transition.

I’m back to Muscat from a month and half long trip to Bombay. The whole purpose of my trip was to take time out to heal the annular tear in my back. After one relapse and seven months of an irritating pain in my lower back, I was determined to do it right this time around. I went to weeks of physiotherapy where I was strictly told to avoid bending, picking up heavy items, and to make sure I change my position every thirty minutes. And, finally I learned the importance of strong ABS, which I always knew, but never really listened to – especially, since it changes my old, lazy concept of exercising. You have to actually think while exercising! I used to always think, “walking on the treadmill is so easy – mindlessly walk, and get some ample time daydreaming. Pure bliss” Don’t get me wrong, walking is still an amazing form of exercise but, now I know a little AB workout here or there does the body good (especially, to put an end to those recurring lower back issues).

Now that I’m back in Muscat for a few days, I really want to eat as healthy as possible and focus on my health. So, I did a few key things to help me out during this week before we head to Dubai:

• Grocery Store. I bought local lettuce, parsley, celery, cucumbers, carrots, bananas, pears, and oranges.
• Home. Washed the local lettuce and parsley and kept it in containers in the fridge for later use. (Make sure you run it through the salad spinner once washed. I also allowed it to dry on clean washcloths on the dining table to make sure it stays fresh in the fridge). This process made it easy for me to whip up green smoothies or salads on demand (when not prepared, laziness prevails and the take-out menus make their appearances).
• Morning. I cut up salad sticks (celery, cucumbers, and carrots) for the hubster and me. It’s a great thing to keep in the fridge, when you are starving and reaching for those cookies. It gave us the option to be healthy! And, don’t forget to store half in a Ziploc bag. It makes it easier for another family member to grab and go with a healthy snack. And, with the leftover sticks that didn’t get consumed and carried over to the next day, I chopped them up and threw them into the dinner salad.
• Anytime. I was experimenting with a hummus recipe a kind friend sent to me. It was great to have a tub of hummus in the fridge to accompany those lovely veggie sticks.
• Hungry moments. I realized it’s time to experiment with green smoothies. So, I took out my handy blender and threw in some washed lettuce, washed parsley, a banana, and some frozen blueberries that were hiding in the corner of my freezer. A tablespoon of hemp seeds, a tablespoon of flax seeds, and a tablespoon of Greens powder also went in. And, to top it off I added a splash of agave nectar (eventually, I want to wean myself off of it, but just added it in so I could get used to that green-y taste). It was great! I made a little extra and threw it in the fridge for another hungry moment for the next day. Green smoothies last two days in the fridge.
• Bored, hungry moments. Keeping a fruit basket on the dining table really helped with those bored moments. Working from home has its moments. Many times of the day, I venture towards the kitchen and then towards the deadly snack cupboard to see what to munch on. Usually, when I’m bored, the snack choice I make is never a smart, healthy one. But, this time, as I walked towards the kitchen, I saw beautiful, bright fruits staring at me in the face, screaming, “Eat me!” Couldn’t resist.
• For the family of ten. There are only two of us at home: the husband and I. But, as soon as I arrived back to Muscat, I cooked off a bunch of rice to keep ready for the following days (I cooked enough for a large family. But, quantities vary from person to person. So, you decide how much you’d like to cook). It helped to whip up a quick meal. Three things I made with the rice: 1) Chicken fried rice 2) Breakfast rice porridge 3) An accompaniment to some chole (Indian-style garbanzo beans).

                          

I’ve been able to be healthy, without being stuck in the kitchen for hours. It took a little planning and some usage of mental space, but it was well worth it. Loving every moment.