From sad to sexy.

We recently returned from a mini break and found our fridge to be a little on the bare side. We contemplated ordering in or going out to one of our favorite haunts  but instead I decided to see if I could whip up a little lunch with the sad, spare  offerings in the fridge.

Fridge contents

After looking over  the ingredients I had foraged,  it was obvious a noodle bowl was going to be made. It’s my favorite dish when I eat at our regular haunt “Hanoi 3 Seasons” but I had never made one myself.

Sweet little Vermicelli noodles after cooking.

While I fried up some chicken with garlic, I cut off the sad, wilted bits of the veggies and grated them with a cheese grater.  I then poured boiling water over the ancient 1/4 package of vermicelli noodles and let it sit for a couple of minutes. I snipped some fresh mint and Cilantro from the backyard pots to throw on the dish. They make every thing taste fresh and  make a lovely garnish.

The sauce...before

I took a bit of rice vinegar (less than an 1/8th of a cup) and mixed it with about a tablespoon of Agave (Honey or maple syrup will also do the trick) and  added a couple of tablespoons of water as the mix was  too potent. I then added about a tablespoon of garlic chili sauce to heat it up. It was darn tasty. I tend to eyeball most things in the kitchen and leave it to my taste buds to tell me what is lacking or overpowering.

All put together.

I assembled all the ingredients in a couple of  pretty bowls, made some  Po Li (A wonderful dark tea that I was recently introduced to) and set the table on the back deck and surprised my fella with a sexy lunch. I surprised myself with how good it was. Popcorn and toast are usually challenging for me.

The scene is set.

The sauce is poured.

It's a hit.

My confidence is growing. What will be next? Bread baking perhaps? A pie?

Care to share any of your “happened upon” recipes?