I'm always looking for a quick-vegetable-loaded-kid-friendly-weeknight meal. Vegetable Fried Rice has been a family (and fridge purging) favorite around here. But I think I've come across a dish that has taken its place.

Inspired by The Kitchn's Miso-Roasted Asparagus Soba Noodle Salad, this noodle bowl has it all. Amazing layers of flavors, textures and it only takes less than 30-minutes to whip up. I serve this warm, but this would be great as a cold salad too. I add hard-boiled eggs for extra protein, making them ahead of time in my new favorite kitchen appliance (hint: fell in love with it in an instant). This is a great clean-out-your-fridge recipe, roasting vegetables that are near their end. But feel free to substitute your favorite veggies.

Miso-Roasted Vegetable Soba Noodle Bowl
Adapted from The Kitchn

INGREDIENTS
1/4 roasted sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
8 oz package of soba noodles
2 tablespoons red miso
1 tablespoon hot water
1 tablespoon sesame oil
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
1/2 pound  green beans, trimmed
1/2 pound carrots, peeled and sliced into match sticks
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt, to season

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat over to 375 degrees F.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to the package and drain.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together miso, water, sesame oil, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar and ginger.
4. Heat remaining olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat and saute garlic and shiitakes until the mushrooms are just tender (about 5 minutes). Set aside. 
5. Place green beans and carrots on a baking sheet and toss with 3 tablespoons of miso mixture to coat. Roast for 8-12 minutes, or until vegetables are soft enough to pierce with a fork. 
6. When finished roasting remove from the oven. Toss with remaining miso sauce and soba noodles. Fold in green onions and cooked mushrooms. Season with salt and top with sesame seeds and sunflower seeds. Serve with hard or soft boiled eggs if you prefer. 

This dish comes together in 22 minutes! A perfect weeknight dish.

It's been a little quiet in this corner of the blogosphere as we get into the back-to-school routine. Now that the Fall is in full swing with after-school activities, soccer, homework, and general controlled chaos, I am fully committed to menu planning. Here's this week's menu plan and link to my go-to menu planning and shopping list worksheet from Real Simple.

MONDAY: Miso Sweet Potato and Broccoli Bowl
For Meatless Monday, I'm making this grain bowl from Smitten Kitchen. I love roasted broccoli and sweet potato. But it really is the miso dressing that takes this to the next level. And to really make this a meal, we add a fried egg on top. Click here for the recipe.

TUESDAY: One-Pot Pasta Primavera with Shrimp
After soccer practice, I need a meal that comes together quickly. This recipe is genius. Everything cooks in one pot, forming a silky and dreamy sauce. Plus clean-up is a snap. Check out Epicurious' recipe here.

WEDNESDAY: Butternut Squash Beef Stew
I'm fully embracing fall and our new Instant Pot with this recipe from Foodie Crush. This stick-to-your-ribs meal is just what we need to get through Hump Day. Plus, I get to test out my Instant Pot. 30+ minutes for a hearty stew? It's happening! Click here for the recipe.

THURSDAY: One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes & Sausages
This is a riff of the one-pot pasta dish from Tuesday. But mixing it up with Farro by Smitten Kitchen. We're big grain fans here as you can tell. I have a feeling this will be in regular rotation at our house. Click here for the recipe.

FRIDAY: Sheet Pan Pizza
To celebrate making it through another week, I'm going semi-homemade with sheet pan pizzas. I use store-bought pizza dough and roll it out onto an oiled sheet pan and top with our favorite toppings. We will make one classic cheese and basil and the second will be topped with whatever we have leftover in the fridge (sausage from Thursday, veggies from earlier in the week). Bake at 500 degrees for 15 minutes.

Have a great week!

I recently discovered miso paste - a salty, umami paste that packs a flavor bomb to any dish. Miso paste is made from soy beans and rice or barley fermented with salt, water and fungus. There are two types of miso paste: white miso (shiro miso) is milder and great for salad dressings and sauces and red miso (aka miso), which is saltier and more pungent and is used in soups. You can often find them in the refrigerated section with tofu, seitan and the like. And this stuff lasts forever in the fridge. Most recipes call for a couple of tablespoons of this stuff. So don't be afraid to buy a container and stick it in the fridge. It will be like a old friend, waiting faithfully for you whenever you need it.

I often make a miso-soy glaze for fish and tofu, which my kids will inhale. Then I found this recipe by Ming Tsai. It's hearty, salty and sweet and comes together in less than 30 minutes. In other words, the perfect weeknight meal.

Miso-Butter Ramen-Noodle Soup
Adapted from Simply Ming One-Pot Meals, by Ming Tsai & Arthur Boehm

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ramen noodles
Kosher salt
2 Tablespoons canola oil
3 shallots, minced
1 Tablespoons ginger, peeled and minced
1 lb ground turkey or pork
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 quarts low sodium chicken broth
2 fuji apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
6 Tablespoons white miso

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large stockpot, cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain noodles and rinse under cold water. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the same pot over medium heat. Add oil and when hot, add shallots, ginger, and ground turkey and saute until meat is no longer pink and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Add the scallion whites and soy and simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and apples and bring to a simmer.
3. Whisk in the butter and miso and season with salt and pepper. Add ramen noodles and heat through, about 2 minutes. Divide the noodles and soup into bowls and garnish with scallion greens. Serve immediately.

Menu pad by 1-canoe-2.myshopify.com

2014 is in full swing, which means keeping to my resolution to cook more healthy foods. Here's this week's menu plan at our house and some links to recipes I'll be making/testing/tweaking: 

So you may have heard some crickets over here at umommy over the past few weeks. I've been busy juggling my time here and here, in addition to chauffeuring the boys to all their never-ending after school activities, room parent duties, and making sure our house does not completely deteriorate. The one thing that is keeping my sanity is meal planning. Without it, I fear we'd be living off of cereal and takeout.

The one dish that consistently is rotation is a variation of Todd English's Couscous Carbonara with Country Ham. It sounds fancier than it really is. It's essentially any small-shaped pasta tossed in a spinach puree and diced ham. Not only do the boys cheer when we make it (I'm now doubling the recipe so they can have leftovers for lunch), but it takes less than 20 minutes to whip up. So when we're getting home after Karate and the boys are famished, I can whip this up and feel good that they are getting their veggies, some protein and whole grains.

Pasta Carbonara with Country Ham
Adapted from Todd English and Sally Sampson's The Figs Table 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound baby spinach
• 1/3 cup half and half
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups diced baked ham (we love Applegate Farms ham steak)
• 1 pound orzo 
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan

If you're like me, you want to like tofu and promised to cook more of it for the family. But when it comes to a weeknight meal, that poor block of tofu you bought at the store sits alone and going bad in the back of the fridge. 

• 1/4 cup olive oil or canola oil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1.5-2 lbs fish fillets (we prefer flounder or sea bass, but almost any firm fish will do)
• 4 fingerling potatoes, sliced thin
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced 
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 
• Green veggies (baby bok choy or chinese broccoli is a favorite), parboiled
• Chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, cilantro)
• Sesame oil (optional)
• Sliced ginger (optional)
• Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Pour olive oil into measuring cup and add red pepper flakes.
2. Prepare four 15 x 15-inch squares of parchment paper (or foil) and place one fish fillet on top of each sheet. 
3. Top each with a few slices of potato, lemon, onion, veggies, ginger (optional) and drizzle with spicy olive oil. Top each packet with fresh herbs, a dash of sesame oil (optional) and season with salt and pepper. 
4. Wrap each into parchment packets. There are many techniques to do this, including twirling the ends to look like hard candy, to calzone shaped or pouches similar to how a they wrap up a sandwich at the deli. Pull up the sides together than roll down the ends until it lays flat on the fish. Fold overhang underneath bundle. Then place fish packet on cookie sheet. 
5. Slide the packets onto a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve one present per plate. Be careful when unwrapping as the steam will be HOT. 

• 1 lb boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
• ½ lb sugar snaps, strings removed
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced on a diagonal
• 1 jar WORLDFOODS Indochina Cambodian Pineapple Lemon Grass Stir Fry Sauce

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over high heat. Add half the chicken; cook and stirring constantly, until opaque throughout (2-4 minutes). Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
2. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan, along with the onion, sugar snaps and carrots. Cook, stirring constantly until onion is tender and golden.
3. Add the jar of stir fry sauce and chicken (and any accumulated juices) back into pan and heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce is heated through and slightly thickened.
4. Serve over rice or noodels and enjoy!

I was given WORLDFOOD Sauces to try as part of the Massachusetts WORLDFOODS Fusion Taste Team. As always, all opinions are my own. 

It has been a particularly exhausting couple of weeks here at the umommy household. Juggling Milk Day at my son's school (which was a runaway success - can't wait to share the deets soon!), parent/teacher conferences, busy work schedules and some family issues had us ordering takeout, eating out or turning to old "go-to" recipes for dinner more than usual.

Everyone has their go-to dish: a meal you can whip up by memory and will sure to please just about anyone.  They often consist of ingredients you have on hand. And is usually something you can make quickly and feel good about serving. Read: not a frozen pizza/canned soup/box mac and cheese and the like. Don't get me wrong! Those meals can be life-savers too (have you seen our freezer and pantry?). A go-to dish is something made from (mostly) scratch. For us, it's pasta with sausage, rosemary and tomatoes.

We discovered this recipe in Michael Schlow's It's About Time: Great Recipes for Everyday Life cookbook. It is ultra simple to make and only takes a whopping 20 minutes to whip up once you get a pot of water boiling. Not to mention the entire family's favorite dish. Okay, okay. I'll share.

Pasta with Sausage, Rosemary and Tomatoes
Adapted from Michael Schlow's It's About Time: Great Recipes for Everyday Life


Ingredients

• 1 lb pasta (penne or rigatoni is best)
• 1 lb sweet Italian sausages, removed from casing and crumbled
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 28 oz can plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup whole Italian parsley leaves

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt and cook pasta according to directions
2. Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, using a wooden spoon to break up sausage and cook for about five minutes
3. Add garlic to sausage and cook for two minutes. Pour off all but a tablespoon of grease.
4. Season sausage mixture with salt, pepper, red pepper and rosemary
5. Add tomatoes and cook on high until tomatoes start to break down and sauce begins to evaporate and thickens (about five minutes)
6. Stir in butter and combine until melted.
7. Add cooked pasta to sauce and stir to combine. Add cheese and parsley and serve!