Holy Hell

This is how I feel today:

Yellow. Budding. Smiling. Thankful.

The past week has been agonizing, but everyone walked away unscathed, less an unfortunate receptionist who was harassed by my phone calls every hour to check on my results. I was able to let out a gigantic sigh of relief today and can now move on with my life.

All I've wanted the past week is comfort food -- oodles and oodles of noodles -- and scalding hot baths. I allowed myself as much of both as I could handle. My skin is still a little pruney.

I am including two recipes today, which I have never done before, but the response I got from Heather when I mentioned the first dish was far from overwhelmingly positive, so I am posting a second dish in the event that you find the first as repulsive as she did.

Let me assure you that it was fantastically delicious and super quick to throw together. I am almost certain, too, that you have all the ingredients in your fridge/pantry to make it RIGHT NOW. We all need meals like this that can be made in a pinch -- especially ones as beautiful and fun to eat as this pasta. Plus, it's like food's version of prozac -- uplifting and cheery.

The second dish is a noodle dish, too, and, not surprisingly, it's an Asian dish. My lovely mom was in town this week for a conference so we all crammed into my little space for some supper. Actually, we went downstairs to my 'lounge' and watched the Olympics. My building has a tv room complete with leather couches and armchairs, and since I don't own a television I have been posted up there, glued to the Olympics. Um, how rad is speed skating? I am going to shed a tear when it's over on Sunday. Sniff. Anyway, I hope you've all been well this past week.

Cheers to health.

I make a point to buy interesting pasta shapes.

Plain ol' salad greens.

Pasta salad?

If you require your food groups not to

touch this dish might not be for you.

Pasta with greens and an egg

pasta -- any small shape you like

1 cup salad greens

1 egg

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Cook pasta according to directions. Cook egg -- over-easy makes a lovely sauce -- to your liking. Place the cooked pasta on top of the greens followed by the egg, season with salt and pepper and garnish with parmesan cheese. Serve and eat immediately.

This might be my new favorite marinade:

sherry, soy sauce, sesame oil.

I could cut vegetables till the cows come home,

and considering that I don't have any cows . . .

a very long time.

I was so excited to eat I nearly forgot to take a photo.

It's a bit of an afterthought, a delicious afterthought, though.

Singapore Noodles

adapted from Good Mood Food

1 package rice vermicelli noodles (I couldn't find these, but would certainly recommend them)

1 lb chicken, sliced thinly

1 carrot, cut into matchsticks

2 celery sticks, cut into matchsticks,

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs ginger, minced

3-4 green onions, thinly sliced

bean sprouts

cilantro, chopped

1 tbs curry powder

1 tbs canola oil

1 tsp sesame oil

marinade:

3 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs dry sherry

2 tbs sesame oil

Combine sliced chicken and marinade in a bowl. Let stand at least 20 minutes or 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Cook the noodles according to the directions and set aside. Meanwhile, heat the canola and sesame oil in a wok or large pan over medium high heat. Add the ginger and garlic, stirring frequently so as not to burn. Add the chicken, including the marinade, and cook through. Add the carrot, celery and green onions and stir fry until tender about 3-4 minutes. Add the curry powder (you could certainly add more -- 1 tbs is not a lot) and toss through for another 2 minutes or so. Add the noodles and bean sprouts to the pan. Toss everything together with tongs to combined. Garnish with more bean sprouts, chopped cilantro and sriracha.