Thursday's 2 for 1: Salad (yeah, I went there) and Ramen (yeah, I went there too!)

Thursday Post 1 of 2: Bringing Salad Back

In her motivational post designed to amp up the MoFo bloggers, one facilitator noted one of her previous MoFo fears that she wanted to allay for seasoned and new participants alike -- the perceived level of culinary difficulty required to validate a posting.  Admittedly, this perception has periodically plagued me in MoFos past as well.  However, this year, just maybe, I am turning a corner, not just in MoFo blogging but in life.  How else can you explain that, yes, it's true ... post 1 of 2 is about salad?  I said it...SALAD!

Listen, I love creating and experimenting, but, as we could all use a bit more of in our lives, so often simplicity serves us best.  The truth is that all I really wanted on Wednesday was a badass salad.  To me, this was the epitome of badassery when it came to dinner possibilities (see this fun article about Oxford legitimizing my use of badassery -- woot!, as well as other new additions; srsly, you should read it).  Anyway, at this point in the vegan lexicon, salad seems synonymous with other choice words that can result in mouth washing out, detention, or a frowny face emoticon.  And, I can't lie -- when this is a restaurant's "grand accommodation" of the plant-based lifestyle or the best a "Top Chef" can manage for a vegetarian challenge, nonetheless vegan (can you imagine the apocalypse???), I may have rolled my eyes once or twice.  That said, sometimes, a salad is the best comfort food, especially when you layer it up.  Barring any allergy restrictions, how can you deny romaine, arugula, pine nuts, apple, carrots, garden yellow tomatoes, sliced scallions, a little S 'n P, and a delectable drizzle of fig balsamic?  A mountain of goodness, my friends, a mountain of goodness in 10 minutes or less.
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Thursday Post 2 of 2:  

"Ramen... the Remix!" OR "What happens when you live near a college!"

Listen...whatever you may think of ramen, I am here to let you in on a secret: forget the return of lace-trimmed biker shorts, rat tails, and bras masquerading as shirts, ramen is the hot trend!  There is even, apparently, a chain of ramen houses that you have to line up for hours in advance --  in NYC of all places!!!




For many of us, ramen has a special place in our hearts.  It is the reason we graduated from college, made it to class or into the light of day after all of that "studying" on Thursday through Sunday (or Monday through Sunday, depending on your college experience), or ate at all (having already started toward the vegan path after that green-hued burger from the campus cafeteria).  Maybe it was the sale price or maybe it was the fact that 19 was the median age of 80% of the population at my local market, but somehow, this bag of ramen made it into my grocery basket last week, and tonight, we bonded all over again.

Admittedly, things are different now:   1) I used a real pot and a real stove.
                                                           2) I did not rip anything with my teeth.
                                                           3) I used a third of the salt bomb, I mean, seasoning packet.
                                                           4) I added things to the noodles...besides a spoon.
                                                           5) I clearly remember the entire experience.

In all seriousness, try this!  To the ramen, which I prepared as directed, except for the reduction of the seasoning packet, I quick pressed 1/4 pkg. of extra firm tofu, which I diced and added to same saucepan used to cook the ramen (which was, by this point, steaming in a bowl) with 1/2 t. oil and 2T water, as well as 4 diced shitakes.  I let all that simmer for about 5 min., added it to the ramen, and topped it with green onions and S 'n P.  YUM! And, in another first, I have enough for lunch tomorrow.  You don't need the impending garbage can full of unidentifiable booze to necessitate this effort or the foodie mecca of NYC to get your ramen on.  Add some greens (which I would have, if I had had any), and this is a 10 min. or less meal that is filling, comforting, fun, healthy, and delicious! Maybe I should set up a ramen stand outside my house...it is Thursday after all.