Who doesnt like Ramen on a cold or rainy night? Or just Ramen in general ?! Ever since moving to NYC it has been one of my favorite take out go tos pretty much all year round (especially in winter). 

Theres nothing more comforting than a hot bowl of noodles. But what isn't comforting is the ability to not button my pants from these types of meals on repeat during the winter. Once in a while its nice to just have the "real deal" since NYC does house some of the best spots for Ramen. However, with the amount of sodium loaded up in your average bowl Ramen it will have you feeling super bloated for a few days. I can especially see it in my face. The next day my cheeks are SUPER puffy. 

One of my favorite noodles to work with to make a healthier version of Ramen are shiritake noodles. Shiritake noodles are thin, translucent, gelatinous  noodles mde from konjac yam. They are almost zero calories and carbs, and are made up of 97% water and 3% fibre. 

Usually you can find them in your vegetable isle of the grocery store or the ethnic food isles. If you use Thrive market, they are also available on there! Below are the ones I use:
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These noodles work well in other recipes too! I love making a vegetable or chicken lo-mien with them since they take on any flavor you cook them in.

The  Ramen bowls are super easy to make. You just need the following:

Ingredients:

1 package of shiritake noodles
1 Hard boiled egg
1/2 cups of broccoli/spinach (or any veggie combo)
2 cups of low sodium broth (Chicken, beef, or veggie)
Onion/garlic powder to taste
1 tbsp Coconut Aminos or low sodium soy sauce
1tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the vegetables of choice. Saute the vegetables until they are soft — about five minutes.
2. Add the broth, garlic, onion and coconut amino. Stir to combine the ingredients. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Add the noodles (make sure you drain and rinse them first)
4. After 3 minutes, halve the hard-boiled egg and add to the soup. Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let the egg warm — about three minutes.
5. Enjoy!

If you recreate this recipe make sure to tag me @stephi.paige  I love to see your recreations!

Do you ever get home from working all day and wish dinner was ready in seconds....ALWAYS has been my case. Coming home after a full day of work I rarely feel like whipping up an elaborate dish for dinner. In the past something quick always meant hitting up a fast food joint or the frozen meal isle. 

When Schedules are crazy the last thing you want to do is fuel up on junk. That will only have you feeling more sluggish. Thats why I always have the necessities in my fridge/freezer  for quick and easy week night meals. Frozen cauliflower, brown rice, broccoli, mixed veggies, and sprouts are all great items to throw directly into a pan to whip up a quick dinner. 

All I do is spray cooking spray directly into the pan, or drizzle with a bit of EVOO add in my frozen veggies and then if I am in need of some more protein will add in some egg, pre-cooked chicken from the weekends meal prep, tofu, fish etc. then I simply cover and let the veggies steam and just season with my choice of seasonings I am feeling and voila! Dinner is ready in 15 minutes.

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One of my favorite combos above is cauliflower rice, frozen broccoli, frozen brussel sprouts, and a lean protein source. I season it with onion powder, garlic powder, coconut amino, hot sauce, and nutritional yeast. 

These bowls are super easy to mix and match switching out the proteins, and vegetables to keep things different each night without much thought, and still having dinner on the table in under 15 minutes

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Its always nice to have a fresh cooked meal and these bowls are always giving me that comfort I need at the end of a long day.

Give yourself some time back this week and try one or two out! Tag me in your creations! @stephi.paige