Szechuan Black-Eyed Pea Salad

                   Recently both me and my husband have been trying different salads. Today I tried a different type of salad which is a little spicy, a little tangy, loaded with protein and fiber with a hint of Chinese taste.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Black-Eyed peas
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green Bell Pepper
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Tomato
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Cilantro
• 1 minced Jalapeno
• 2 Avocado cubed
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 tbsp Szechuan Sauce
• 2 tsp Black Pepper
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

• Cook the black eyed peas. I prefer to use pressure cooker to boil it. If using a pressure cooker, cook for just 2 whistles. Make sure they are not overcooked else they will become mushy.
• Once the black eyed peas are cooked, drain the water and keep them aside
• Mix together the black eyed peas, bell pepper, onion, tomato and jalapeno in a large bowl
• Toss avocado and lemon juice in a separate bowl. Add salt and pepper to the bowl
• Add the avocado mixture to the black-eyed peas mixture
• Then, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, Szechuan sauce in the bowl used for avocado
• Add this dressing to the mixture and toss it well
• Finally add cilantro and serve

Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles)

           Pad Kee Mao or as it is more commonly known, Drunken noodles, is one of the popular noodle dishes served in Thai restaurants in the US. This is the dish that I order most frequently and absolutely love. So, I decided to try it at home today with a bit of my twist on it. It was a big risk because my husband is not a fan of this dish but, thankfully, he loved it.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz flat, wide rice noodles (I got the fresh pre-cut)
• 1 Onion, cubed
• 1 Bell Pepper cubed
• 1 cup Broccoli florets
• 1 cup Tomatoes, cubed 
• 3-4 Garlic cloves
• 2 Thai chillies
• 3 tbsp Soy sauce
• 2-3 tbsp Chili-Garlic sauce
• 1.5 cup cubes of Firm Tofu
• 8-10 fresh Basil leaves
• 1 tbsp Oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Black Pepper

Instructions: 

• Take a pan, add little oil to it and fry the tofu until golden brown and keep it aside.

• Take the garlic cloves and Thai chillies and pound to a rough paste and keep it aside.
• Chop all the vegetables and keep it ready

• Heat some oil in a wok or a pan over high heat, and add the chilli-garlic mixture to it
• Stir for a couple of minutes till the garlic starts to turn golden brown.
• Now, add the onions, peppers and broccoli and toss them.
• Saute for another 2-3 minutes and then add the tomatoes and fried tofu and mix it well.
• Add the Soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce, salt and pepper and toss it again.
• Then add noodles and let the noodles spread apart and mix well
• Let the noodles be in the pan for about 2-3 minutes and absorb the sauce, make sure to flip it once or twice
• When the liquid is all absorbed, take it from the heat and add the basil leaves and mix well
• Serve hot