Indian Curry in a Hurry

Dinner today was all about being quick.  I'm lucky in that at my last job I had access to lots of samples of all kinds of fun, new and interesting things.  Sometimes that even includes packaged meals.  I know a lot of people in this day and age subsist on packaged meals, meals that take only a few minutes to make, or only a few additional ingredients.  I can understand this, because people seem to just be getting busier and busier in their daily lives.  This is a way to put food on the table quickly, feeding themselves and their families, and getting on with their lives.  However, much of the time this comes with the sacrifice of their health.  This is why I do not buy packaged/ almost ready-to-eat food. 

However, when I was perusing the sample shelf at work one day, I came across some packaged food that looked interesting, checked the ingredients, and was amazed to discover that not only was the package gluten free and vegan, but also had shockingly few ingredients, and seemed pretty health supportive.  So, I took it home, and there it sat in the pantry, for about 2 months.  You can definitely tell that I like to cook at home, even if it takes a while.  So, one day when I came home late from work and the Hubby came home shortly thereafter, we were both hungry!  And since we've made a kind of pact with one another that we will try to save as much money as possible and not eat out, we had to eat in, and quickly.  So, as I was going through the pantry half-heartedly, I came across the package of noodles and sauce and was so happy.  The noodles would literally take 2 minutes to cook, then add the pasta.  So, all I had to do was saute some veggies.  What could be easier?  So, that's what we had for dinner, and it was delicious!  Although quite spicy.  And if I hadn't immediately recycled the box it came in, I would tell you the brand, but alas ... 

Indian Curry in a Hurry:



Brown Rice Noodles, Sauteed Veggies, Pepper Steak



Serves 2

1 package Gluten Free Indian Curry for 2, prepared according to instructions

Vegan Pepper Steak (leftover from dinner the night before)

1/4 head purple cabbage, shredded

1/2 orange bell pepper, medium diced

1/2 green bell pepper, medium diced

1/2 medium onion, sliced thinly

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

6-8 baby bellas, sliced thinly

Vegetable boullion powder, as needed

 Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

1.  I prepared the noodles as indicated on the package - they only took a couple minutes because they were rice.

2.  In a large wok over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and allow to become hot.  Once it's hot, add the onion, bell and jalapeno peppers.  Allow to cook for a couple minutes.  Add the cabbage and mushrooms, also allowing them to cook for several minutes, until the veggies are tender-crisp.  Season with vegetable boullion powder, sea salt and black pepper. 

3.  Once the noodles are cooked, drain well and return to the pan they were cooked in.  Into the wok with the cooked vegetables, pour in the prepared sauce packet.  Stir into the veggies, being sure the sauce is evenly coated.

4.  Place half of the pasta onto each plate and top with a generous amount of the veggies.  Top the veggies with the cooked pepper steak and serve. 

5.  The sauce pack was soooo hot, so I think the next time I make something like this, I'll keep out the additional jalapeno peppers.  You know I love spicy foods, and this was delicious, but intense even for me!

Enjoy!

-K