Isn’t it interesting how when you start out on a journey, there are many hands to guide you along the way? Yesterday, my son and I purchased Blackberry Torches. Yes, I now have a Blackberry – and those lost moments sitting at a hockey rink wishing there was something to do are now gone forever! Anyway, I digress. I found an incredible app for the Blackberry (and various other SmartPhones) called Food Network Canada.

It’s absolutely terrific. There are many recipes available there for you to try and videos to help you along the way. There are so many tools to support us on our quest for good food.

If that wasn’t enough, I read a blog post this morning (and yes, on my Blackberry) from Sandi Krakowski about What the Secret Millionaire Should Have Bought at the Grocery Store. What Sandi was pointing out was that if people feel that they cannot afford food, they have a tendency to not eat it. Instead they eat packaged junk food – that’s an impoverished mind set for not only are you feeding your body garbage, but you’re telling your body that it is a garbage can worthy only of receiving garbage.

Instead, she offers a very inexpensive weekly ‘diet’ for one person that includes no junk food. She recognizes that when your eat food in order to nourish your body, all aspects of your life are nourished and prosper.

OK – so now what’s cooking for dinner?

Food Network made a shrimp noodle bowl (see picture above) for dinner today, but we can’t eat shrimp here because Mark is allergic to shellfish. But I was planning on making a fish noodle bowl anyway, and I’ll switch a white fish for the shrimp. Here’s the recipe from Food Network with a few of my tweaks.

1 package flat rice noodles
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup fish sauce
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 1/3 cup vegetable stock
2 to 4 teaspoons Asian chili sauce
(I usually add some chili peppers too for a little bite)
1 pound white fish, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 medium bunch bok choy, sliced
1 large red pepper, cubed
5 ounces mushrooms, chopped (what ever kind you have available)
1 medium carrot, shredded – or you can use the peeler to cut into long thin strips
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook as the label directs; drain and rinse with cold water.

Meanwhile, whisk the lime juice, fish sauce, maple syrup, garlic, chili sauce and 1/3 cup vegetable stock in a medium bowl. Transfer 1/4 cup of the marinade to another bowl and toss with the fish. Toss another 1/4 cup marinade with the vegetables. Let the fish and vegetables marinate 10 minutes at room temperature.

Heat a heavy saucepan (this is when I pull out my Le Creuset pot – I love this pot) to medium-high. Grill the fish, peppers and mushrooms until the fish is just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of vegetable stock and bring to boil. Once it comes to a boil, add the bok chok – turn off the heat and cover.

Divide the noodles among bowls and top with the fish soup. Delicious!

Notes from yesterday’s dinner (the Thai Basil Turkey dish):

It was really delicious and everyone ate it, even my teenage son ate the broccoli. Who knew that was possible?

But I forgot to add the bean sprouts, so there wasn’t tons to go around – which is why they’re going in the noodle bowl tonight.