Eat Vicariously With Me

Save The Earth, One Bottle At A Time

2008-07-28T00:41:00.002-04:00

Check out the link below, and make the pledge to start filling up a reusable water bottle with water that you filter at home. Think of all the plastic bottles that won't be filling up our landmines because you've done your part. :)

Ginger Veggie Noodle Soup

2008-07-10T15:56:00.003-04:00

This is a really quick super low calorie soup that's great as a lunch or starter. Make two large servings. I calculated the WW points as 1 point per serving. (FYI- This is a totally thrown together soup, so all measurements are approximate.)

Ginger Veggie Noodle Soup

2 cups vegetable broth
1 package Tofu Shirataki (spaghetti shape) or 1/2 package Yam Noodles
1 oz shredded carrots
1 oz finely sliced shitake mushrooms
1 oz shredded cabbage
2 Tbsp soy sauce (low sodium would be a good idea here)
freshly grated ginger (about a 1/2-1 tsp)
1 clove garlic, grated or very finely chopped
cayenne pepper, to taste (1/8 to 1/4 tsp)

Add all ingredients, except noodles to a medium saucepan over low heat.
Rinse noodles well, drain, and pat dry. Cut noodles up into a manageable size, if you wish.
Once veggies have softened and soup has almost reached a boil, add the noodles, and cook until they are heated through.
Serve with a wedge of lime and enjoy!

Angel Food Cake with Berries and Orange Creme

2008-05-21T00:00:00.004-04:00

This is a quick fat-free dessert that has almost zero prep time, and is pretty yummy. Comes to 3-4 WW Points. (This is an estimate. I didn't actually calculate yet.)

Angel Food Cake with Berries and Orange Creme
Serves 1

1 piece angel food cake (about 2"), torn into bite sized pieces
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries, thawed
1/2 cup 0% Greek yogurt
zest of 1/2 an orange
2 Tbsp. orange juice
1/2 tsp raw sugar

Mix together yogurt, sugar, orange zest and juice. Set aside.
Toss berries (with their juice) with cake pieces.
Top with orange yogurt creme.
Enjoy!

I love free stuff!

2008-05-12T15:18:00.002-04:00

I live for two things: coffee and free stuff. Put 'em together and it's like I've hit the jackpot. Click below for a free sample of DD's awesome coffee.

Carrot Oat Bran Muffins

2008-04-30T10:00:00.005-04:00

I've been on a healthy muffin kick lately. Here is my latest recipe. These come out to 2 WW points each and are supper yummy like carrot cake, but healthier and chock full of fiber. (And would be delicious with some low fat cream cheese icing-- just saying....) FYI-- This recipe makes twelve muffins.

**Note-- this is the first time I made these and they were good, but: next time I would increase the baking powder to a tablespoon, as they did not rise as much as I would have liked.

You could also throw in a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans, but note that this will affect the point/calorie count.

Carrot Oat Bran Muffins

3/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup Fiber One (original)
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
1 Tbsp. olive oil (ordinary)
1 egg
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup soy flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 Tbsp. raw sugar (for sprinkling)

Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare a muffin tin by lining with paper liners sprayed lightly with nonstick cooking spray (or you can do what I did which is grease/flour/pray).
Pour the boiling water over the oats and Fiber One. Let this hang out for 8-10 minutes.
Combine everything including and up to the baking soda with the oats/Fiber One mixture.
Gently fold in raisins, carrot, and zucchini.
Scoop batter evenly in muffin cups and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the muffins comes out clean.
Enjoy!

*Sorry there is no photo! It was accidentally deleted! I will update when I make these again!*

Double Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

2008-04-29T13:45:00.006-04:00

These muffins are wheat, dairy and almost fat free, and oh so yummy! According to my calculations these are three points each! (Please know that I am in no way an employee or representative of Weight Watchers. I do point calculations for my own use on most recipes, and so I share that info. Please recalculate yourself to be sure.)

Double Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

3/4 cup soy flour
1/3 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract

1 cup raspberries (frozen will work fine here if not in season)
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

7 almonds, slivered (or 1 Tbsp. packaged slivered almonds)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare a muffin tin by lining with 6 paper cupcake liners, and spraying lightly with a nonstick cooking spray.
Combine all except the last three ingredients quickly in a bowl with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, being careful not to over-mix. The batter will be very stiff.
Fold in raspberries and chocolate chips.
Spoon evenly into 6 muffin cups.
Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with the slivered almonds.
Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.
Let cool thoroughly, then remove from muffin tin. These have a shelf life of 3-4 days when stored at room temperature (up to two months frozen).
Enjoy!

(FYI- This photo does not do these muffins justice. It is incredibly hard to take a good photo of a chocolate muffin with normal household lighting.)

Chicken with Quick Sweet and Salty Pan Sauce

2008-04-21T20:04:00.004-04:00

This is a really super quick and easy meal with lots of flavor and minimum fuss. I served it with steamed string beans, to get some veg in and a bit of green on the plate. Serves two. (FYI- 9 WW points for 1 cup of pasta with half the chicken and sauce.)

Chicken with Quick Sweet and Salty Pan Sauce

1 pound thinly sliced chicken breast
2 anchovy fillets
1 clove garlic, peeled and slightly smashed, but left whole
1 Tbsp sultanas (golden raisins)
6 oil cured olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp raw sugar
1 cup stock (beef, veg, or chicken-- your choice)
6 ounces capellini
1 tsp

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the capellini. Cook according to time on box (usually three minutes).
Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over a medium high flame. Add garlic, and saute chicken a few minutes on each side, until slightly browned and cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
Add anchovy fillets to pan, stirring with a wooden spoon until anchovies are dissolved.
Reduce heat to low and add broth, sultanas, olives, and sugar. Let it cook and mingle for a few moments, and then...
Plop the pasta straight from the pot into the sauce. Add chicken back to the pan, and let it all cook together for a minute or two.
Plate and serve. Enjoy!

Fennel and Orange Salad

2008-04-17T17:50:00.003-04:00

So simple. So delicious. Serves four as a side, two if you are using as a main part of your meal (under a nice piece of grilled fish, for instance).

Fennel and Orange Salad

1 bulb fennel
1 orange, sectioned and roughly chopped
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Cut off tops of fennel bulb, reserving about 2 Tbsp of the fronds (little leaves). Depending on the freshness of your fennel bulb, you may want to use a vegetable peeler to trim off just the very outermost upper layer. Cut the bulb in half, then slice the fennel very, VERY thinly.
Combine sliced fennel, fronds, and orange. (Also, when you section the orange, be sure to squeeze the juice from the membrane over the bowl.)
Season generously with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Pulled Pork Sandwich with Two Second BBQ Sauce and Carrot Slaw

2008-04-17T11:35:00.007-04:00

This is a quick and easy way to use leftover roast pork shoulder. I made this as a lunch for one, but it's very easily multiplied to make more sandwiches. (If you are counting WW points, I calculated this as 7, including a 2 point bun.)

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Two Second BBQ Sauce and Carrot Slaw

3 Tbsp ketchup
1 tsp brown sugar, packed
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1-2 tsp hot sauce (I like Tiger Sauce.)
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 dash soy sauce
about 1/4 tsp freshly grated ginger

2 oz shredded roast pork shoulder

1/3 cup pre-shredded carrots (Steam them in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften a bit.)
1/2 tsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp vinegar
1/4 tsp sugar
salt and pepper

1 whole grain hamburger bun

Combine first 7 ingredients. Add pork, and heat slowly in a saucepan over low heat. (Or microwave, checking ever 30 seconds.)
While that heats, combine mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour over carrots, tossing to coat.
Toast the bun lightly, then pile on the pork, then the carrot slaw.
Enjoy!

The Apprentice Brown Rice Breakfast

2008-04-17T00:04:00.007-04:00

This is a recipe from Bethenny Frankel (original can be found here) of Martha Stewart Apprentice and Real Housewives of New York City. It's a really great filling breakfast or snack that gives you a lot of bang for your calorie buck. It's the perfect combination of whole grains, fruit, and protein to give you lots of energy and keep you full all morning. And it seriously takes about a second and a half to make. And it's also wildly delicious. Try it, and you will be converted to the Brown Rice Breakfast, I promise. (FYI-- If you are a Weight Watcher, I calculated this as 5 points.)

Brown Rice Breakfast (serves one)

1/2 cup cooked brown rice (Yay! A way to use leftovers!)
1/4 cup soy milk (Original or Vanilla)
7 almonds, slivered (1 Tbsp if you have them already slivered.)
1 Tbsp golden raisins
1 Tbsp maple syrup (Use the real stuff.)
dash of almond or vanilla extract (I use almond.)

Combine all ingredients (except almonds) in a saucepan on medium heat until heated through. (Alternately, you can mix this up ahead, and just pop it in the microwave for a minute or two in the morning.)
Top with almonds.
Enjoy!

The Foodie BlogRoll

2008-04-10T21:21:00.002-04:00

Don't forget to check out all the other great food blogs out there. Finding good ones can be a daunting task, but look no further: all of the best food blogs on the web can be found at the Foodie BlogRoll.

If you have a food blog or site, be sure to join, it will be a great resource for you, and an asset to your blog!

Happy cooking and blogging!

Agrumino Green Tea Cocktail and Steamed Artichokes

2008-04-10T18:24:00.007-04:00

Mmmmm, cocktail hour. As far as I am concerned there is nothing better than a really good cocktail with a simple snack. Hence my light and citrusy Agrumino Cocktail with Steamed Artichokes.

A note about Agrumino: Agrumino is a citrus liqueur very similar to Limoncello, just using other citrus fruits. I make mine homemade (quadrupling the formula below) once or twice a year using a combination of tangerines and oranges. It takes about a month to be fully ready to drink, but it is definitely worth the wait.

Agrumino

10-15 citrus fruits (oranges, clementines, tangerines, or any combination you like)
1 750 ml bottle vodka or grain alcohol
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups reserved citrus juice
2- 2 1/2 cups sugar

Wash the fruit very well to remove any wax or pesticides. (Use organic if you can.)
Using a vegetable peeler or pairing knife, peel the fruit, being careful to leave the white pith behind, as it will make your liqueur bitter. Place peels in a large wide-mouth jar (one that has an airtight seal).
Juice as many of the remaining fruit as it takes to come up with about 2 cups of juice. Freeze the juice in an airtight container. Use the remaining fruit for another recipe.
Pour vodka over the peels and cover jar. Let this steep at room temperature (preferably in a dark spot) for between 4 and 10 days, shaking jar daily.
After the peels have steeped, prepare the sugar syrup by bringing sugar, water, and the juice you froze to a boil. Allow this to cool completely, then add to the vodka and peels.
Allow this to steep for between 1 and 5 days.
After steeping, strain away the peels and discard. Bottle the liqueur and store in the fridge or freezer, as it should be served very cold. It will take at least a month for the liqueur to mellow and reach its full flavor.

Agrumino Green Tea Cocktail

1 1/2 ounces Agrumino (if not available substitute Limoncello or Cointreau)
4 ounces unsweetened iced green tea
juice of half a clementine
ice
clementine slice to garnish

Shake Agrumino, tea, and clementine juice in a cocktail shaker with ice.
Strain into a chilled martini glass, garnish with a slice of clementine and serve.
Enjoy!

Steamed Artichokes

artichokes (as many as you want!)
olive oil (about a tablespoon per person)
sea salt & black pepper

Line the bottom of a large pot with a steamer basket. Fill pot with 2-3 inches of water.
Place washed artichokes stem side down in steamer basket. (I don't bother to trim them.
As far as I am concerned that's for sissies. But if you wish, then go ahead and trim away.)
Steam artichokes for between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on size.
Cool and serve each with a dipping bowl of olive oil, seasoned generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Enjoy!

Red Snapper with Orange Gremolata and German Potato Salad

2008-04-08T17:00:00.004-04:00

This is a quick little meal I threw together which turned out quite tasty. I made it for two, but I have increased all the proportions in the recipes you see to serve four. I served this with some simply sauteed zucchini.

Red Snapper with Orange Gremolata

1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillets
2 oranges, zested then sectioned and roughly chopped
a couple of handfuls parsley, chopped, separated
3 large cloves of garlic, chopped
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, separated
salt and pepper

Prepare Gremolata: Combine orange sections, half the orange zest, half the parsley, 1 Tbsp olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper, and set aside.
For the Snapper: Preheat broiler, and prepare a baking sheet with a greased rack. Season both sides of fish with salt and pepper, and place fillets, skin side down, on rack.
Combine remaining orange zest, remaining parsley, garlic and remaining olive oil. Rub over the top of the fillets.
Broil for about ten minutes, or until fish is firm, opaque and flaky. Spoon Gremolata over the Snapper.
Enjoy!

Quick German Potato Salad

2 large potatoes, scrubbed and boiled
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 small handfuls grape tomatoes, quartered
4 Tbsp. chopped cooked bacon (about 4 slices)
4 Tbsp. bottled Sweet Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette*

Chop the potatoes while they are still warm and combine with the other ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.
Enjoy!

*Note about the vinaigrette: Any sweet tangy vinaigrette will work in this recipe. This is a very quick, tossed together salad, hence the bottled dressing.

Grilled Chicken with Peanut Ginger Sauce and Faux Mein

2008-04-03T17:36:00.008-04:00

I have been really hesitant to try Tofu Shirataki Noodles for two reasons. One, I love yam noodles so much, why would I try anything else? And two, I've heard some really bad reviews of them, so I was scared. Well I decided to finally venture out and try them, and guess what! I love them! They are really similar to yam noodles, just a little bit less chewy. So I made a Faux Lo Mein with them (or Faux Mein, as I like to call it), based on Keith's original Lo Mein Recipe.

And to fill in the protein portion of the meal, I just grilled some thin sliced chicken breasts on the Foreman Grill (it's too cold to do it outside!), served with a super yummy Peanut Ginger Dipping Sauce. The sauce could also easily work with shrimp, pork or beef.

Here are the recipes: (FYI, the Faux Mein serves two, so double if you wish.)

Faux Mein

1 package Tofu Shirataki Noodles (spaghetti shaped)
1 cup savoy cabbage, finely shredded
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 to 1 tsp ginger, grated
1/2 tsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
dash of white pepper

Rinse the noodles thoroughly. Drain and dry very well in a very clean kitchen towel. Set aside.
Spray a skillet with a bit of olive oil. Saute garlic, ginger and cabbage until the cabbage is softened. (If the leaves are very tough, add a tablespoon or two of water, and cover so it can steam.)
Add fish sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper and noodles to the pan. Stir and heat through, being careful not to overcook.
Enjoy!

Peanut Ginger Dipping Sauce

3 Tbsp peanut butter (I used creamy, but chunky would work too.)
2 tsp granulated sugar
2 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced and mashed to a paste
1 tsp finely grated ginger
1 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/4 tsp rice wine vinegar

Mix peanut butter, sugar, garlic and ginger until well blended.
Whisk in water, soy sauce and vinegar until smooth. If you would like a thinner sauce, whisk in more water, one teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
Serve as a dipping sauce with whatever your heart desires!

Here's the finished meal:

Sweet and Spicy Glazed Pork Chops

2008-03-27T19:49:00.005-04:00

These came out very good, but. . . would have been much better with the edition of 2 chopped scallions, to add a bit of freshness to the dish. Very yummy served with rice and steamed asparagus!

Sweet and Spicy Glazed Pork Chops

2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
2 large garlic cloves, grated
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
4 center cut pork chops (about 1 1/2 lbs?)

Whisk together first six ingredients.
Pour over pork chops in a large zip top bag.
Allow to marinate for at least a half an hour (or as long as overnight).
When ready to cook: Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then place a baking rack on top. (This is essential for an easy clean-up!)
Place pork chops on the rack, pouring excess marinade on top, and bake until they are done (can be between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on chop thickness), turning once midway.
Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

2008-03-19T19:53:00.010-04:00

I had some leftover roasted chicken and random leftover vegetables in the fridge that I needed to get rid of, so it seemed a Chicken Pot Pie was in order. This one is really oniony, just because I was in the mood for a lot of caramelized onions, so cut back to half an onion if you don't want onion to be one of the main flavors of this dish.

This recipe makes four servings. I made two pot pies (2 servings each), but you could easily make 4 individuals or one big one. That would be a judgment call on your part I suppose.

If you count Weight Watchers Points, I calculated this as 8 points a servings. (Please recalculate on your own if you want to be sure. I don't count onions or carrots as points, so if you do, your count will obviously be different than mine.)

Chicken Pot Pie

1 tsp. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 cup cooked carrots, cubed
1 cup cooked potatoes, cubed
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 package low fat bread dough (store bought, from the refrigerated section)
salt and pepper

Over medium heat, saute the onions in the olive oil (with liberal amounts of salt and pepper) until soft, brown, and caramelized, about twenty minutes. Mix with chicken and other veggies, and put aside.

To prepare the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk in the flour, and cook for three of four minutes, being very careful not to let the butter brown. Slowly add in the the stock and milk, whisking as you add it in. Let this thicken for five or ten minutes, whisking occasionally so lumps don't develop.
Pour sauce over chicken and veggies.

Stir this all together and transfer to lightly greased baking dish(es).
Unroll bread dough and place over the baking dish.

Bake at 350 F for 20- 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

Remove from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Rasberry Almond Bread Pudding

2008-03-13T18:43:00.009-04:00

This super quick and easy dessert was inspired by a recipe I saw Nigella Lawson make several years ago. Mine is just a lightened up version. If you want to make this a bit more of a decadent treat, spread the bread with the jam and some mascarpone cheese.

Raspberry Almond Bread Pudding
8 slices whole grain bread
4 Tbsp. low sugar raspberry jam
2 cups light soy milk
3 eggs
4 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. butter, sliced thinly into little bits

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a glass loaf pan.
Make 4 jam sandwiches. Cut them in half diagonally, to form 8 triangles. Line these guys point side up in your loaf pan.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, soy milk, sugar, and almond extract. Pour custard mixture over the sandwiches in the loaf pan, then dot the tops of the sandwiches with the butter.

Let it sit and hang out for a few minutes so the bread can soak up the custard. Then bake for about 45 minutes to an hour, until the custard is set.
Serve warm for dessert with a bit of whipped cream. (Or for a yummy breakfast the next morning, serve with some butter and maple syrup!)
Enjoy!

Quinoa Salad

2008-03-13T14:20:00.003-04:00

Orange, red onion, and olive oil is one of my favorite flavor combos, because it just screams of summer to me. So that's the direction I chose to go in for this quinoa salad, probably because I am sick of winter. (Hey, if I can't have summer weather, I'll settle for summery foods.)

If you aren't familiar with quinoa, it's a delightful little grain (one of the few "complete foods" on our planet) and very versatile. You can use it hot, much the way you would rice, or cold in a salad, as I have here. Whatever you do use it in, be sure to rinse it very well before cooking. The grain has a bitter coating that you don't want in your dish, but a good rinse in cold water takes care of that.

One more quick note: When you section the orange, do it over the bowl you're using so it will catch all the juice that's going to drip out, then squeeze the juice from the membrane into the bowl as well. This adds a significant amount of flavor and liquid to the dressing. Here's the recipe:

Quinoa Salad
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
2 cups water
1 cup fresh string beans (cut into bite sized pieces and steamed but still very crisp)
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 shallot, sliced very thinly (or half a red onion)
1 orange, segmented (don't forget to zest it before you cut it!)
1/4 cup golden raisins
zest and juice of half a lemon
zest of half an orange
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a dry hot pan toast the quinoa until dry, golden and slightly puffed. Remove from pan.
Bring water and a pinch of salt to a boil, add quinoa, cover, reduce to a simmer for 20-25 minutes (until water is all absorbed). Fluff with a fork and and remove from pan. Allow to cool. (This could all be done the night before if you like.)
When cool, combine quinoa and all remaining ingredients. Season to taste with salt and coarsely ground pepper.
Enjoy!

General Tsao's Chicken

2008-03-11T19:31:00.004-04:00

I found this recipe on the Weight Watchers website, and it is amazing! It's all the things General Tsao's Chicken usually is: spicy, sweet, and saucy. Everyone loved it and went back for seconds, so it is a good thing I had the foresight to triple the recipe. The only addition I made to the recipe was a sliced red bell pepper for some color and crunch. Served along side white rice and steamed broccoli, this was much yummier and healthier (only 4 WW Points per cup of chicken and sauce, if you're counting!) than takeout. Enjoy!

General Tsao's Chicken

3/4 cup canned chicken broth, reduced-sodium
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp peanut oil (I used olive oil instead, and it was fine.)
2 medium scallion(s), chopped
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or 1 dried chili pepper, minced
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
white or brown rice and steamed broccoli

In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and ginger; set aside.

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions, garlic and pepper (and bell pepper) and cook 2 minutes. Add chicken and cook until browned all over, about 5 minutes.

Add reserved sauce and simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Serve chicken and sauce over rice (and steamed broccoli).

Pad Thai (Sort Of) For One

2008-03-10T13:48:00.002-04:00

I really felt like Pad Thai for lunch today, so I had to find a way to make it work with what I had on hand. Yam noodles may sound like a pretty obscure ingredient, but they're widely available in Asian markets, and worth looking for. They're fat free, super high in fiber, yummy, and only require heating before serving. They come in these cute little bundles (fourteen per package, to be exact).
Just drain them (they come packaged in liquid), untie those cute little bundles, give them a good rinse, dry them well (I wrap them up in an impeccably clean dishcloth, and let them hang out a bit to accomplish this), and they are ready to be used however you want. Tangent on yam noodles over. (I promise!)

This is the formula I used to make the mock Pad Thai. It came out quite good, just a bit salty, so I recommend replacing half of the Soy Sauce with water. Here's the recipe:

Pad Thai (Sort Of) For One
1/2 package yam noodles (7 bundles), rinsed and dried.
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. peanut butter (I used Reduced Fat Skippy Creamy, but feel free to substitute.)
1 scallion, chopped.
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup cabbage, cooked (I had some sauteed Savoy leftover, so I used that.)
3 oz. (about 1/4-1/3 cup) firm tofu (I had BBQ tofu leftover, so I used that.)
2 Tbsp. finely chopped toasted almonds

Heat a pan to very high heat, and coat with a bit of olive oil (I use a mister). Add the egg, and swirl the pan around quickly to make a thin omelet. Cook for only a few seconds on each side, so the egg doesn't get tough. Remove from pan, roll up, and slice into thin strips. Put on the side.
Microwave the peanut butter for a few second to soften.
Whisk together peanut butter, fish sauce, soy sauce, water, and sugar. Add scallion to this mixture and put on the side.
In a lightly oiled, screaming hot pan, heat the noodles, cabbage, and tofu until warmed through. this should take no longer than two minutes.
Add the sauce, allowing to come to a simmer and stir until combined well.
Add the egg and almond, and serve. (Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice if you like.)
Enjoy!