Long Life Noodles

Long life noodles are served at Chinese New Year celebrations as well as birthday meals; tradition says that if you break (or cut) one of these noodles, you'll have bad luck.  Regardless, the peanuty sauce and crispy veggies are the perfect accompaniment to most main courses.  I served these with a teriyaki-marinated salmon filets, but they'd be just as yummy as a bed for shrimp or scallops...or the protein of your choice really.

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

1 cup snow peas, thinly sliced

1 cup shredded carrots

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1 pound soba noodles or spaghetti

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/4 cup minced cilantro

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger.  Stir constantly until the peanut butter melts.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the snow peas, carrots, red bell pepper, and scallions.

Cook the noodles until al dente in a large pot of boiling water.  Stir the noodles into the vegetable mixture and add the peanut sauce.  Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro.

Serves 6-8.

Recipe adapted from The Comfort Table, by Katie Lee.

Garlic Broccoli

I love broccoli!  So when I made a Chinese New Year themed meal and was searching for recipes for something green (come on, I'm a mom, and every meal needs a veggie!) I was so excited to find this.  The green color brightens any dish, and the crispy texture is the perfect compliment to fluffy fried rice.  Leave out the crushed red pepper flakes if you're serving this to the kiddos, it's a bit spicy, even for adult palates!

1 tablespoon canola oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 pound broccoli florets

3/4 cup chicken stock

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Heat the canola oil over medium-low heat in a wok or large skillet.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, allowing them to infuse the oil for 3-4 minutes.  Increase the heat to medium and add the broccoli.  Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes.  Add stock, soy sauce, and pepper.  Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, until broccoli is tender and almost all the liquid has evaporated.

Serves 4

Recipe adapted from The Comfort Table, by Katie Lee.

Crispy Orange Beef

I like Chinese take-out (who doesn't!?) but I'm not a fan of that gross uber-full feeling I have every time I eat it.  However, given that Chinese New Year is this week, and I was having a slight craving for some sweet and sour chicken, I decided to make this dish at home.  My husband likes the beef options better, and I wanted something on the spicy side.  Enter this fabulous dish.  It was just the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, making it the perfect marriage for take-out that was cooked-in!  Enjoy over a pile of white rice (mine looks a little brown because I cooked it in beef stock).  Don't forget the fortune cookies!

1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut into thin strips, or use "stew" beef like I did

1/3 cup cornstarch

6 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons honey

4 teaspoons sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup water

1 cup canola oil

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated

zest and juice of 1 orange

8 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

1 orange, thinly sliced for garnish

white rice, for serving

Toss beef with cornstarch to evenly coat.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  While the meat is chilling, combine soy sauce, vinegar, hoisin sauce, honey, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and water.  Set aside.

In a wok or heavy skillet, heat the canola oil.  Fry the beef in batches until browned, about 3 minutes per batch.  Remove to paper towels to drain.

Drain all but 2 tablespoons oil from the wok.  Heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic, ginger, orange zest and juice, and scallions.  Stir fry for 5 minutes.  Add the beef and stir in the reserved sauce.  Raise the heat to medium-high and stir until sauce thickens.  Serve over steamed rice with the orange slices on top.

Serves 4.

Recipe adapted from The Comfort Table, by Katie Lee.

This Month: Chinese New Year

I don't know a whole lot about Chinese astrology, or even the Chinese New Year. But I do know that I occasionally love Chinese take-out, that crab rangoon is the eighth wonder of the world, and that even though I'm not of Chinese decent, I love any excuse for a themed meal! So this year, I plan to celebrate the Year of the Goat like no body's business! Who knows? Maybe we'll start a new tradition at my house! Chinese New Year falls on February 19th this year, right after Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday, so it'll be a week of celebrations and special meals in my kitchen! Enjoy!

On the Menu:

Crispy Orange Beef

Fried Rice

Garlic Broccoli

Long Life Noodles

Chicken Adobo

I've never been to the Philippines, but I know several Filipinos, and they are all wonderful cooks!  This is a pretty traditional dish, and, as my father would say, "the flavors explode in your mouth".  It's true!  This is a super easy meal that will have your family believing you've been slaving over your stove for hours on end.  Serve it over a bed of your favorite rice.  Serve it on its own.  Even turn it into a salad if you'd like.  In fact, invite your neighbors over for a mid-week dinner party.  It's that good.  Just don't tell anyone it's that easy; it'll be our little secret!

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup white wine vinegar

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 garlic cloves, chopped

3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 dried bay leaves

3 tablespoons arrowroot (or cornstarch)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

lime wedges

In a large nonstick, high-sided skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken to the pan and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken stock, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves.  Whisk until the sugar has dissolved.

Pour the liquid into the skillet with the chicken and bring to a boil, scraping up with a wooden spoon the browned bits that stick to the bottom of the pan.  Reduce the heat and simmer, turning the chicken occasionally, for 35 minutes, until cooked through.

Remove the chicken from the cooking liquid and arrange on a serving platter.  Discard the bay leaves.  Whisk the arrowroot and lime juice into the cooking liquid and bring to a boil.  Cook until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce over the chicken or serve alongside as a dipping sauce.  Sprinkle the chicken with cilantro and garnish with lime wedges.  Serve over a bed of rice.

Serves 4-6.

Recipe adapted from Weeknights with Giada, by Giada de Laurentiis.

Thai Grilled Beef with String Beans

Years ago my mother borrowed one of my South Beach Diet cookbooks from me.  One night, she called and told me she'd made the best meal, but it wasn't something that was marked up on the book.  In other words, I'd never made it before!  Mama asked if I'd like her to mark the recipe with a post-it so I could try the dish sometime.  I declined, but asked her to write a note on the page, so I'd know it was a hit.  Now, just shy of six weeks post-partum from Baby #2, I'm hitting my SBD cookbooks pretty hard.  I came across Mama's note and put this on the menu plan...and I'm so glad I did!  This was a huge hit with the whole family!

1 1/2 pounds flank steak

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

1/4 teaspoon chili paste, or 1 teaspoon seeded, minced serrano chile

1 teaspoon granular sugar substitute

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed

salt and pepper to taste

Heat grill or grill pan to high.  Heat a large sauce pan of salted water to boiling.

Rub steak on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill until desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare.  Remove from heat and place on a cutting board to rest 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, chili paste, sugar substitiute, cilantro, and scallions.  Set aside.

While steak is resting, add beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.  Drain.

Thinly slice meat across the grain.  Toss with lime juice mixture, adding any meat juices from the cutting board.  Add beans and toss.  Serve warm.

Serves 4.

Recipe adapted from The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook, by Arthur Agatston.

Yakisoba

When I lived in Okinawa, Japan, growing up, a favorite weekend adventure involved going shopping downtown and stopping on Gate 2 Street (a street near, you guessed it, Gate 2 of one of the larger American bases on the island) for yakisoba.  I'm sorry, but those microwave versions you can buy at the store are neither authentic or tasty, and after making the real version, you'll see what I mean.  While this is the basic recipe that was served up by the locals, feel free to change up the veggie and meat to suit your preferences...

2 packages fresh soba noodles, cooked and drained (careful, sometimes this can get kind of gooey; one of these days I'm going to skip cooking them and throw them right into the stir-fry)

4 tablespoons sesame oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin, bite-sized strips

salt and pepper to taste

Chinese Five Spice to taste (start with about 1/4 teaspoon and go from there)

1 green pepper, cut into thin strips

1 onion, coarsely chopped

1 small/medium bag shredded cabbage and carrots (coleslaw)

1 clove garlic, minced

soy sauce and stir-fry sauce to taste (optional)

In a large skillet, wok, or electric skillet, brown the chicken in the oil.  Season with salt, pepper, and Chinese Five Spice.  Add vegetables, stir-frying until crisp-tender.  Add the cooked noodles and stir-fry until the noodles are lightly brown.  You may need to add more sesame oil.

Adjust seasonings and add sauces to taste, according to preference.  Serve hot, with chopsticks or a fork!

Serves 4-6.

Huli Huli Chicken

This recipe is actually Hawaiian, so I suppose it's not technically Asian; however, when you think about the Polynesian influences, I think it qualifies!  When my family lived on Okinawa (an island off Japan) the Officers Club near the pool where my swim team practiced sold these curbside every Tuesday evening.  It was similar to picking up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery nowadays.  Anyway, Mom would frequently buy a Huli Huli chicken for dinner on the way home from swim practice, and we'd absolutely devour it within minutes of walking in the door!  (I can certainly vouch for the fact that swimming drastically increased the appetites of my older brother and me...poor Mom!)  So, when I saw this recipe on Rachael Ray's website, I was eager to give it a try, but still skeptical that it would never be the same as what I remember.  Well, typical Rachael, this was fabulous!  I can't wait to try it again and again!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2-4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 1 1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons dark soy sauce

3 tablespoons chicken broth

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons pineapple juice concentrate I used a pineapple-orange since I couldn't find straight pineapple

Preheat the oven to 325.

In a food processor, pulse the garlic and ginger until finely chopped. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, broth, vinegar, and pineapple juice concentrate and process until well combined. Marinate the chicken breasts for 30 minutes.  Reserve all the marinade!

Place the chicken in an oven-proof baking dish and drizzle half the marinade on top.  Turn to coat.  Make sure you reserve the second half of the marinade!  Bake for 10 minutes, then turn chicken, drizzle with remaining marinade, and bake for 10 minutes more, or until cooked through.

Serve on a bed of brown rice.

Serves 4.

Recipe adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray on www.rachaelray.com.

Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

I found this recipe months ago and just had to try it!  I do love Chinese food, but I hate that sickening feeling I have every time I order take out.  I was so excited when I found this recipe on Everyday Sisters...  My crock pot broke on New Year's Eve (actually, just the knob broke, but when I researched the price of a replacement knob it was more economical to just buy a new machine), I had some left-over orange juice concentrate from some Christmas cookies I'd made, and I'd just bought a bag of frozen Szechuan-style green beans that I wanted to try.  The timing couldn't be more perfect.  So, on an otherwise crazy day, I whipped up this chicken, some brown rice, and popped the beans in the microwave.  Easy, yet healthy, dinner...and super flavorful!  My husband gave this one two thumbs up!

4 boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into chunks

1/3 cup flour

olive oil

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoon ketchup

1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1/2 cup water

4 tablespoons brown sugar

In a bowl, mix the orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, ketchup and water, set aside.

Pour the flour in a small bowl. Cover the chicken breast chunks in flour and shake off the excess.  Pour a small amount of olive oil in a skillet and brown the flour-covered chicken.  The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked since it's going in the crock pot.

After the chicken is done browning, put the pieces into the crock pot. Then cover the chicken with the sauce mixture and give the pot a stir.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3.

Serve over rice.

Thai Chicken Drumsticks

Back in February, I did a mini-series of Asian foods as I led up to some meatless Lenten Friday dishes.  Well, I have a few more oriental favorites, so I decided that this month would be dedicated to some more favorite Oriental dishes!  I saw this recipe on Rachael Ray's weekly email a few months ago and immediately pinned it on Pintrest.  I couldn't wait to make it, so when I found chicken legs on sale, I knew exactly what we'd be having for dinner that night!

1/2 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves separated and coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 lime, juiced

Salt and pepper

8 chicken drumsticks (2 lbs.)

2 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

In a food processor, puree the cilantro stems, garlic, oyster sauce, half of the lime juice and 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl, add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake, turning once, until cooked through, 45 to 50 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, cilantro leaves and remaining lime juice; season with salt and pepper.

Serve chicken and cucumbers with jasmine rice (for something extra special, throw some chopped peanuts and cilantro in the rice)!

Serves 4.

Recipe adapted from Rachel Ray's Weekly Bites on www.rachaelray.com.

Asian Chicken Salad

I wanted to try something a little different for dinner the other night.  I'm gearing up for a business trip to Hawaii (I know; life's so hard!) in June, and we're going to try to make it a bit of a vacation, so I'm trying to keep things light and healthy, with tons of fresh veggies!  That said, I knew my husband wouldn't ever pick this off a menu, so I kept my dinner plan to myself.  And wouldn't you know it?!  When he walked in from work and saw me prepping the plates, he asked, "What's that?" followed quickly with, "I'm probably not gonna like it."  I sweetly reminded him of his goal to have a six-pack by the time we leave...  For the record, he did like it, thought it wasn't a fast favorite, but he promised he'd eat it again if I decided to make it a second time...which is good, because I do!  This dinner salad was great and the dressing was amazing (my first time with Miso)!

2 chicken breasts

1/2 small red onion, sliced, plus 2 tablespoons chopped

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons miso (white if you have a choice)

3 tablespoons rice (or red wine) vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons sesame oil

1 red pepper, seeded and sliced thin

Bean sprouts, a couple large handfuls for each salad

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Poach the chicken.  Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add a teaspoon salt and chicken breasts.  Lower heat to just above a simmer and cook until chicken is opaque throughout, 10-15 minutes.  Remove chicken from poaching water (you can save this for other soups) and allow to cool.  Shred chicken using two forks.

Make the dressing.  Combine chopped onion, ginger, miso, vinegar, honey, and oils in a blender.  Pulse until smooth.

Assemble the salads.  Lay a bed of bean sprouts on each plate.  Then arrange peppers, sliced onion, and chicken.  Drizzle with salad.  Garnish with cilantro.

Serves 2 for a meal or 4 for a side dish.

Recipe adapted from Food Made Fast: Salad from Williams-Sonoma.

Thai It, You'll Like It Chicken

This recipe came from the first cookbook I ever owned (a gift from my mama my first Christmas after college) and was one of the very first meals I ever cooked for my husband...and later for my parents.  And guess what?  Hubs has been a guinea pig for many recipes since then!  So, in keeping with the Asian theme I've had going to bide my time before we start some meatless dishes for Lent next week, here we go with a spicy Thai dish!

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 serrano hot peppers, seeded and minced (or 1 large jalapeno...but it won't pack as much heat that way)

4 tablespoons hoisin sauce (near soy sauce)

2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (again, in the Asian section, near soy)

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup water

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn

Jasmin rice, cooked

In a nonstick skillet, heat the oil over high heat until hot.  Stir fry chicken for 4 minutes.  Add red bell pepper, garlic, and serrano.  Cook 2-3 minutes.  Add hoisin, fish sauce, sugar, and water.  Throw in basil and toss until it wilts. Dump out onto a bed of jasmine rice.  Garnish with any extra basil leaves.

Serves 4.

Recipe adapted from 30-Minute Meals, by Rachael Ray.

Please be careful when cooking with serranos, or other hot chiles.  The first time I made this dish I wiped my eyes with the same hands that scraped out the seeds of my peppers...long after I'd washed my hands.  It didn't make a difference.  My eyes were on fire and in order to flush them with cool water I had to remove my contacts, which of course required that I touch my eyes a second time.  Not a pleasant evening, to say the least!

Beef Bulgogi

Following last week's Asian inspiration, I thought I'd share another favorite oriental dish!  Beef Bulgogi is a Korean dish packed with flavor, easy to prepare, and perfect for feeding a crowd.  If you're not cooking for an army, save the remainder for leftovers...or even for vegetable soup!


1 1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed of excess fat

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon hot chili sesame oil (or add a dash of red pepper flakes to sesame oil)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated and peeled

2 medium red onions, halved and sliced

1 green bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, sliced into 1/2-inch strips

2 tablespoons sesame oil

Slice the meat diagonally (across the grain) into 1/4-inch thick strips.  

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger.  Place the steak, onions, and peppers in the marinade.  Toss and let stand 15 minutes.

Heat the sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the vegetables and meat and cook until vegetables are softened and the meat is browned, about 7 minutes.

Serve either wrapped in lettuce leaves or over a bed of white rice.  Or, my favorite, with Mama's Ichi-Bon Fried Rice!

Serves 4.

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart.

Mama's Ichi-Bon Fried Rice

Having a Marine father had its privileges.  One of mine was living in Japan for three years growing up (fifth through seventh grades).  In Japanese, ichi-bon means number one.  And this fried rice truly is ichi-bon!  My mama usually makes a huge wok of this before a Mongolian BBQ party, but really, I could make a meal of just fried rice and salad.  It makes a ton, but it makes great left-overs and freezes well too!  It can be time consuming, but if you make the rice the evening before and simply leave it covered on the stove overnight, you'll be good to go, and it won't seem like it takes as long to prepare!  If you'd prefer a vegetarian version, simply use vegetable stock for cooking the rice and omit the bacon.

3 cups rice of your choosing (I use brown rice)

6 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons olive oil or sesame oil (or combo of both)

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bag matchstick carrots (or 3 carrots, chopped)

2 cups frozen corn*

2 cups frozen peas*

6-8 slices bacon, chopped

1 packet fried rice seasoning

1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

crushed red pepper flakes

soy sauce, 2-3 tablespoons (eyeball it)

salt and pepper

*1 bag frozen mixed vegetables can be substituted for corn and peas

Combine rice and stock in a large stock pot and heat to boiling (add a few tablespoons butter if you'd like).  Reduce the heat to simmer, cover, and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed.  Cool completely, preferably overnight, to room temperature.  I would not recommend chilling in the refrigerator!

Heat oil in a wok or electric skillet over medium-high heat.  Add egg, frying.  Remove egg and chop.  Set aside.

Stir fry all raw veggies until crisp tender.  Add bacon and continue cooking 2-3 minutes more.  Then add frozen vegetables and cook.  Stir in all spices, adding oil as needed.  Add cooked rice and egg, stirring to combine.  Add soy sauce and adjust seasonings to taste.  Brown until heated through, tasting along the way to ensure the flavors combine to your liking.

Serves 6-8.

Vietnamese Chicken Pho (Pho Ga)

This month, I'm taking part in my very first Crazy Cooking Challenge over at Mom's Crazy Cooking!  The first time I saw this challenge on another blog, I got super excited and couldn't wait to join in the fun.  But I can't lie, when I received my first email with this month's theme, I was more than a little disappointed.  Chicken Noodle Soup.  I've never been a fan, not even when I'm sick.  Every time I get a cold, my mama emails me her chicken noodle soup recipe and tells me to make up a batch and I'll feel better super quickly, but I just can't bring myself to do it.  I thought that this month would be the push I needed.  But then I read the rules and found out that the recipe I tried had to come from another blog, and, sadly, Mama doesn't have one.  I was off the hook.  I really just didn't want to try a dish I'm still not convinced I'll ever like.  I was all set to email Tina and tell her I couldn't participate this month.  But...  Then I was craving my favorite noodle bowl from a little Vietnamese take-out place near our home.  My husband went to get us some food, and they were closed!  And that set the wheels in motion.  I could Google the dish and try that!  It's not traditional chicken noodle soup, but it has chicken, it has noodles, and it's soup.  I found this recipe (with a few of my own tweaks, as written below) over at My Food Geek and was set.  I was following all of Tina's rules.  Now just to make the dish...

Pho:

1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons ground coriander

4 whole cloves

1 tablespoon anise seed

2 quarts chicken stock

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 onion

1 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 pound dried rice noodles

Accompaniments:

Fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Spicy garlic-chili sauce

Sweet red chili sauce

Hoisin sauce

Sliced fresh chili peppers of your choice

You might also incorporate bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, or other ingredients of your choosing.

Combine all the pho ingredients, except rice noodles, in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer 20 minutes, skimming the surface every five minutes. 

Remove the chicken breasts and shred the meat with two forks, set aside. 

Taste the broth and add more fish sauce or sugar, if needed. Strain the broth and discard the solids. Add the dried noodles to the broth, raise the heat, and cook until noodles are done. 

Using tongs, divide the noodles between four shallow bowls (pasta "plates" work well). Divide the chicken over the noodles. Finally, ladle the broth over the noodles and chicken.

Top the pho with the accompaniments of your choice. I drizzled each of our pho bowls with garlic-chili, red chili, and hoisin sauces, topped with sliced fresh red onion, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges, which we squeezed at the table. Of course, I placed small bowls of the accompaniments on the table so we could season to our own tastes as well!

This was a fabulously light meal, yet comforting on a winter night!  My husband loved it and asked for a repeat performance!  And the bonus?  This pho conforms to the South Beach Diet, which we loosely follow!!