Glass Noodle Goody: A Fast and Easy Dish

I came home wanting a fast meal--and what's faster than glass noodles (about five minutes in boiling water) combined with broccoli florets?

But they need flavor. That's easy, too. All you need (for a single serving) is a 250 ml pack of coconut milk (about 9 oz) and a spoonful of Tom Yum hot and sour paste, or red curry paste, or, if you're short on all, some grated ginger and crushed garlic, along with cumin and turmeric. I always put in garlic and ginger anyway.

Instructions: 

Wash broccoli, cut off florets, rinse and drain in collander. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to boil; add a teaspoon of salt.

In a smaller pot, heat a little peanut oil and add grated ginger (a piece about half the size of your thumb) and crushed garlic (to taste, but I always think lots is good).

When the garlic and ginger start to smell good, add the coconut milk and at least a tablespoon of the Tom Yum paste. Stir and turn down heat.

Add the glass noodles and the broccoli to the water; boil about five minutes. Rinse in cold water (keeps the broccoli green and prevents the noodles from sticking) Pour on the coconut Tom Yum sauce. Consume with a glass of red wine.

 

 

Brace-for-Your-Booster Meatloaf

This one's a hybrid--part meatloaf, part moussaka. If you're going for a flu shot and a COVID booster, you could use some iron and protein. You'll get it here. 

 

 

Ingredients:

About a kilo of mixed ground beef and pork--I got the "bio" or organic kind

Two eggplants

Baby tomatoes

Plenty of garlic

Red onions

Olive oil

Turkish Sheep cheese (comes in a can--big disks) or Feta. Use one large piece.

Tomato paste

Any tomato sauce mix you like

Bechamel Sause (packaged is fine)

Parmesan Cheese

Two eggs

(1) Slice (in thin slices) and salt the eggplant. Leave it for around twenty minutes; blot off the salt and rinse. Drain.

(2) Toss in olive oil and throw in a few slices of garlic; arrange in a big pan and bake for about 30 minutes, till soft. Turn a few times--if they look too dry, add a little water. 

(3) Stir fry two or three red onions (three small ones), and some pressed garlic in olive oil. Set aside.

 (4) In a large Pyrex bowl, beat the eggs. Add the meat, tomato paste, tomato sauce, onions, and mix well. Remove to a plate.

(5) Lay half the baked eggplant at the bottom of the pyrex dish. Add about half the Feta. Layer on half the meat. Repeat.

(6) Pour on the Bechamel sauce.

(7) Add grated Parmesan on top.

(8) Bake for about an hour at 200º Celsius (About 390ºF) 

(9) Consume with a glass of red wine.