To go with those Steamed Barbecue Chicken Buns I also made this lovely Asian Noodle Salad. The recipe is based on a Jamie Oliver recipe and he obviously loves using a ton of sesame oil, there is no way I could use 2-3 tbsp of sesame oil! More like 1 tsp! That oil is super strong. Toned down, this is a wonderful and healthy side dish, the kind I have been looking for for a long time. I love noodles!
For the first time I tried Kamut noodles. They are wheat free and pretty high in protein content in comparison to regular noodles. I wanted a way to eat noodles and not feel super guilty for the carbs and if these are healthy, bring them on! They are expensive though, $4 a box but this was a treat for me.
Unfortunately I am finding out that if you want good flavour, sometimes you have to spend more money. For a while now I have been trying different soy sauces and each inexpensive bottle has been a disappointment. In the book The Best Light Recipe
What a difference! There is depth of flavour without a sharp aftertaste, in fact the dressing was subtle but I liked it, it worked and I am pretty sure that it was the good quality soy sauce that made the difference because I have made many similar dressings only to be disappointed.
There is nothing worse than buying new ingredients that cost a little extra only to be disappointed. Thankfully this is one time I spent money and it felt like an investment in both my health and my pantry.
In the end, I wish I had spent the $5 on this one soy sauce than waste the same amount of money on three cheaper versions that disappointed me each time. Now that is true waste.
Where do you spend that little extra money on your grocery bill? I would love to hear about the products you do not mind paying a little more for.
I forgot to mention to as I got to the cash register I was stuck deciding between a $3 red pepper or a small bag of snow peas that cost $4! The red pepper won out because I needed vitamin C to go with my spinach but I just could not bring myself spend $7 on just two ingredients for one salad. I’m sure the cashier found my internal financial vs nutritional debate very interesting to watch.
Tamari is always, always the better choice. Any soy sauce that uses “hydrogenated” or “vegetable protein” you can just chunk, lol! They are never as good because they weren’t fermented like Tamari.
So, yeah, lol, I’m sure you can tell I spend the extra $ on it!
I also splurge for good cheese, especially mozzarella when I do Italian, good cinnamon, good paprika and fresh herbs instead of using dried (unless I have them growing, which saves me a bundle).
Some things are just really worth the money, aren’t they?
Wow that looks like a lovely salad Suzie! I love Jamie Oliver recipes, they are so much about the flavour and the ingredients and I love that!
I’ve never heard of that soy sauce, I’ll have to look for it! I can be picky there though. Maybe I’ll see if anyone uses it at restaurants and try it there first 🙂
What to splurge on? Hm, I don’t think I do. There are certainly things I won’t buy no name anymore but I don’t think that is splurging just yet. I do buy shrimp though, but it isn’t that expensive the kind I buy (2 servings for $4). I marinated it in sweet chili BBQ rub and lime than fry it up and have with brocolli for a nice non carb meal.
I think I am going to check the other ones I have, I have no room in my fridge for all that soy sauce! Fermented is definitely the way to go, thanks for making me feels less guilty Mrs. B.
Yes, fresh herbs! That’s definitely worth the money.
Thanks Shannon! I really want to get one of his books, I think this is the first recipe of his I’ve done.
I found this soy sauce in the health food sections BTW, not with the “regular” soy.
Shrimp, nice choice! And you’re right, that’s not that expensive and is good for you.
This looks good for a new recipe to try this week. I have made something similar before with coleslaw mix, ramen noodles and asian dressing. I am getting hungry thinking about it!
Cheese, duck sauce ( i love duck sauce!), chocolate and healthy drinks like V8 juice..
I used a coleslaw mix too! Lighter than carting home a big cabbage and cheaper too. Ramen noodles, genius! This dressing is wonderful, I hope you try it MM.
Shell, what exactly is duck sauce? Do you buy it in a store? Oh I love those V8 new fruit and veggie drinks, they rock.
Oooh, duck sauce! You can buy it in the Asian food isle. I like to baste it on strips of flank steak and throw it on the grill! Super good!
At this point in my life, I can honestly say that I do not budget myself when I buy groceries. I pick out the things I like, even if they are more expensive. I may have to change my habits if Mike and I wind up cutting our income in half! (He may be quitting his job so we can move to Oregon… without a new job! Yikes!)
One thing I will NOT go with a cheaper version of is canned tomatoes. My mom and I had an argument once about this. She thought it was dumb to spend more, but I just like the more expensive ones better!
I love sweet and sour sauce! That’s a good one, I didn’t know that’s what was meant by duck sauce. Yes, I would buy that and not bother making it, I love it from a jar.
I think that’s awesome Tammy that you don’t budget yourself. I try not to too much, it’s one thing me and my husband believe in spending money on it’s just that prices are so out of control these days.
Wow, is he going to make that jump? That is pretty darn amazing.
Hey, buy the tomatoes you want. I’m sure there really is a difference if you can taste it!
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I know this is an old post, but I wanted to comment anyway.
For me, I pay extra to get a good quality fish sauce. At the asian market there are about a million and a half to choose from and I once made the mistake of purchasing a more inexpensive brand than my usual. (It was $4 cheaper and figured it’d be about the same) All I can say is UGH!!! It was the most vile, horrible, awful tasting thing ever. Sure it was cheaper but it does not even come close to my regular brand. I won’t make that mistake again. Besides, whenever I catch glimpse of a fish sauce bottle in a vietnamese restaurant kitchen, it has ALWAYS been my usual brand. Seems like a good sign, hey?
Also, I “splurge” on canned albacore tuna. Yes, i know it’s full of mercury blah blah blah, but I so rarely eat canned tuna. The regular “chunk light” varieties taste so fishy/tinny to me. Albacore is a lot more mild and nicer to make a sandwich with or to flake over a salad. It is usually about two or three times the price of the “light” tuna, but I much prefer it and it is worth the splurge. 🙂