Lately I have become obsessed with
Japanese Soba noodles. They are lighter than their Italian counterparts and taste great with almost anything I have in the fridge. They also take about 3 minutes to cook (as opposed to rice, which can take 45 minutes). I have been trying to eat less meat after reading about the environmental and health benefits of vegetarianism, which means I have been experimenting with tofu, edamame, and other sources of protein.
If you have the chance, try this amazing recipe for Otsu, found on the blog
Dinner with Julie and spotted on
Tastespotting. I have modified it only slightly. To be honest, I could probably eat this every night...
Dressing:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
a swirl of sriracha sauce
Salad:
1/3 package dried soba (buckwheat noodles), or more if desired
1 cucumber, halved and sliced
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 package firm tofu, pressed
a handful of baby spinach
canola oil for cooking
To make the dressing, mix all the ingredients together. You may marinate the tofu in the sauce, but I didn't and it tasted great anyway. If you want to press the tofu (wrap it in paper towels and squeeze out the extra liquid) do this after it marinades.
Cook the noodles according to the package, then run them under cold water to cool them down. Add cucumber, onion, spinach and half of the sauce. Mix.
After you have pressed the excess liquid out of the tofu, cut it into 1'' squares. Heat and drizzle oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add tofu and brown on all sides. Add crispy tofu to the salad. Top with the rest of the dressing. Enjoy! (serves 2-4).
Image from the blog,
Just Hungry. Visit her site to find more information about soba noodles.
Inspired by Blog Goggles' request for advice on how to wear high heels, I decided to share some insight I learned this summer while trying to break in the new high heels I bought for A-100. These Cole Haan pumps look innocent enough, but... ouch! Until you break them in they are like little torture devices.
While I was soaking my feet in epsom salt and bemoaning the fact that I would have to wear dress shoes again in the morning, my husband taught me a trick that he uses to break in new ice hockey skates. First, head over to the drug store and buy epsom salt and moleskin. Trust me, you will not regret it. If you don't have blisters yet, adhere the moleskin right to your foot where the shoe rubs to prevent blisters. If you already have blisters, follow these step by step instructions to create a pain-free blister cushion.
