Hey, hi! Happiest Monday to everyone! I have to say, I’m sad to see the weekend go, as it was one of the best ever, and filled with a lot of good things. After the excitement of Friday’s news of my brother confirming his spot on the US Olympic Snowboard team, the weekend was pretty much spent making travel plans for Korea…and talking about Korea. My mom has been working in a fury to get everything booked and organized (thank god for my mom, she’s like superwoman, just sayin’). Me, my siblings, my parents, some girlfriends, my cousins (and a girlfriend and boyfriend), and maybe an aunt and uncle, are all heading to South Korea. It’s like A LOT of people to be traveling around the world with, but not one of us is going to miss this. So, the Gerard’s are headed to Korea! Whoop. Whoop. Nothing is really as exciting as Olympic talk, but the rest of the weekend was still pretty great. Spent some time cooking and writing in an effort to try to get ahead on work before this coming week, but took Saturday night off to hang with Asher. We hit up the the nail solon (or the spa as she calls it) for her mani + pedi that I got her for Christmas this year, and then came back to my house to make chocolate chip pancakes and watch Gilmore Girls. You know something? Chocolate chip pancakes + Gilmore Girls + Asher’s giggles…truly my favorite way to spend a Saturday night…and no matter how old I get, I don’t think this will ever change. Fingers crossed that Asher’s teenage self will feel the same way in a couple of years.
Anyway, after the very grey and snowy Saturday (loving the snow), today I’m welcoming all the fresh colors of this bowl with open arms…and preparing for a busy week. Meaning, I’m going to need plenty of healthy, colorful bowls like this to keep my energy high. I can’t tell you guys how much I love creating recipes like this loaded bowl. It’s layered with fresh flavors and there’s simply nothing boring about it. And you know? It’s pretty easy too. I mean, it’s not a five ingredient recipe, but it’s an under an hour, healthy recipe, that’s probably going to take your Monday from boring to fun…and yummy. Not sure about you guys, but that’s definitely something I’m down for. Originally, this recipe started out as just a noodle bowl, but then the weather turned super bitter cold and the idea of adding steaming hot broth just sounded way too good. I didn’t want to make full on soup because for whatever reason a salmon soup just sounds really weird to me, but I loved the idea of my soba noodles swimming in a light brothy liquid. So I did something in between a soup and noodle bowl and ended up with this soupy…ish noodle bowl. It’s the perfect balance of noodles broth, veggies, and salmon and it’s delicious. Obviously.
The secret to this recipe is all in the homemade chili sauce. It’s a combo of sesame oil, ginger, garlic, chilies, and a touch of honey to keep it sweet. The sauce is tossed with the veggies and salmon just before roasting, which allows for everything to caramelize in the oven. The veggies and salmon all get cooked up on one sheet pan, and while that’s happening you’ll prepare the noodle portion of your bowl. I used soba noodles for my bowls because I love pairing them with salmon. That said, you can also use rice noodles or even regular old pasta. Hey, I always say use what you love…or what you have on hand! When everything has finished cooking, arrange the sweet potatoes, bok choy, salmon, and noodles in bowls and then ladle the hot broth over top. Finish with a sprinkle of herbs and sesame seeds. And DONE. And YUM. Simple, quick, easy, healthy! Also, this is the perfect recipe to meal prep with. Just roast your veggies and salmon as directed, and cook your noodles. Store everything in the fridge (together or separated, it doesn’t matter) and then pack up for lunch (skipping the broth part). Or rewarm as an easy, no hassle, no mess dinner (I’d add the broth if you’re making for dinner).
Monday dinner done right.
