On a recent trip to the grocery, Fit noticed this product on the shelf and told me that she’d love to see me “tear it apart” on our YouTube channel. I don’t know why she was so skeptical of the product. Sure, we’d never heard of it or seen it before, but why not give it a fair chance? Unfortunately, due to my ravenous appetite, one day, I just ate them on the spot. By them, I mean one Beef Flavor Ramen Soup and one Chicken Flavor Ramen Soup. I was too lazy to setup my camera and I’m glad I didn’t because it became a bit more complex than anticipated. Mike’s Mighty Good Craft Ramen. Was it worth it? Yes and no.
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Halloween Soup
With Halloween coming up tomorrow, you want to make sure you and others around you are well-fed! Whether you are trick or treating, partying, giving out candy, or just enjoying yourself, a good meal is essential. That’s why Hungry and I have come up with the ultimate Halloween Soup. It’s really not as spooky as it sounds–well it is terrifyingly good, I suppose. Aaaand it doesn’t photograph well nor is it pretty at all, but remember LOOKS don’t matter when it comes to deliciousness. It’s a very simple recipe, but yields terrific results. It’s perfect for the autumn weather–will bring you warm, happy feelings as you slurp it down.
- 1 small pumpkin
- 3 ears corn
- Lots of water
- 1 small shallot
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 oz ginger
- 1 cup Silk Coconutmilk
- 1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
- 1/3 tbsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/3 tsp curry powder
- 1/3 tsp ground ginger
- 1/3 tsp garam masala
- 3 cardamom seeds
- Cube the pumpkin
- Fill a large pot with water and put pumpkin in. Bring to a boil then let simmer until tender
- Fill another pot and boil corn for 8 minutes
- Let corn cool and slice it off the cob
- Chop up garlic, ginger, and shallots. Put into a blender/food processor along with corn and pumpkin and blend until smooth
- Transfer mixture into pot and put on and simmer
- Add spices into mixture, stirring occasionally
Enjoy this Halloween with friends, family, and beyond. Remember to be safe, don’t drink and drive, and don’t let your little ones out without a full belly! No one likes hangry children (yes I said hangry)…or adults for that matter. So fill yourself with goodness and have a very Happy Halloween. And as always… stay hungry and fit!
This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all ours.
My New Love: Pho
Yes, Pho. Pronounced “fuh.” My boss took me to Saigon Xpress a few weeks ago and I consequently fell in love. You know we love noodle dishes like ramen, and this takes it to a whole ‘nother level. I had heard of Pho before, of course, and knew it had something to do with noodles, but wasn’t sure what all the fuhs was about (sorry, I had to). And then I tasted some and now I’m obsessed.
So what is Pho? Pho is a big bowl of broth, rice or egg noodles, vegetables, and whatever protein you have ordered (I get tofu). But wait, the magic isn’t done yet. Along with an absurdly large bowl of this madness, you get a huge plate of fresh bean sprouts, jalapenos, and thai basil. Restaurants usually serve hoisin sauce and sriracha as well for you to pour on as you please. So once you get your steaming bowl of deliciousness, you put the bean sprouts and basil in (as well as any sauces) and then stir it around. Then you may feast.
Why is it so good? The mix of fresh and hot ingredients is absolutely wonderful. And slurping up the noodles is a big favorite of mine too. For me, the real star is the thai basil. It has this minty flavor that totally zests up the entire dish. So far, I have not been able to finish my serving, even though I get a small. It’s a lot of food. I liked it so much when I had lunch with my boss that I ordered one to go for Chris later that night. I cannot wait to go again, Saigon Xpress is definitely a favorite. We tried it at Chez Thuy as well, but it didn’t compare to Saigon.
Another huge plus for me is the healthy factor. I do not feel any heaviness, regret, or guilt after I’ve finished my portion. I always feel happy, full, and content. I get my fill of liquids, carbs, vegetables, and protein all wrapped up in one healthy dish. I cannot even express the tastiness that this dish holds. Look up your local Pho eatery and go there ASAP. And if you’re near Longmont, CO, go to Saigon Xpress–you won’t regret it! Eating Pho is one great way to stay hungry and fit!
The Easiest Black Bean Soup You’ll Ever Make
If you’ve been following our blog, you’ll know it’s been pretty rainy here in Colorado (see my thunderstorm run). I wanted an easy, hearty dish to fill our stomachs with warmth and comfort on another rainy night. I got the recipe from here, and added my own goodies to it. The simplicity of this “soup” is ridiculous. Seriously. And it’s vegan too, if that’s how you want it.
- Prep Time: 1 min
- Cooking Time: 10 min
- Serves: 3-4 normal people
Ingredients
- 2 cans black beans
- 1 bag frozen veggies
- your own blend of spices
- [optional] mushrooms
Directions
- Put 2 cans black beans into the pot and start simmering in a pot
- This is optional, but I put about 3 cloves of garlic into the pot as well
- Add your frozen veggies and any other herbs, spices, or veggies you would like (or meat)
- Let it simmer for at least 10 minutes (until everything is warm) and stir occasionally. If you are cooking ahead of time, it doesn’t hurt to simmer as long as you want to for deeper flavor
- Serve with a side (I did cornbread)
I prepared all of this before a workout. After the core workout (sample core workout here), I came home, popped the cornbread batter in the oven, and heated the soup up again on the stove. It was definitely the perfect meal for a rainy night and I get to enjoy it again for a rainy lunch. It has ample amounts of protein for my healing muscles and great fiber for the whole body.
Cheers! Stay hungry and fit!
Street Food Fail: Zoe Ma Ma (Boulder)
Here’s a quick review of a “restaurant” in Boulder that advertises that they serve yummy street food. It was a beautiful Friday night so we walked downtown and I was even wearing shorts and a t-shirt. We always want to try new food despite having some favorite locations. I had a craving for Chinese a few nights earlier after working out, and this arrived on Yelp, but we couldn’t make it because we didn’t have enough time. I’ll say that it was not the Chinese food that I was in the mood for, or will ever be.
They are right about one thing, it is street food. I, however, did not think that it was yummy. It also cost us $30.00 and did not fill us up at all. I ordered every piece of their three/four piece dim sum menu. They all tasted the same, very starchy and lacking keen flavors (even though one was chicken, one pork and one veggie). Alana ordered a veggie noodle bowl and I ordered the daily special, a duck noodle soup. It was the best part of the meal but still just lacked flavor and was insanely overpriced.
In the end we have no reason to return. It was average street food at restaurant prices. If you’re in Boulder County and want a good bowl of noodles, go to Kho’s Asian Bistro in Longmont. Health tip alert! (because that’s why we’re here right?) When traveling, have street food (find good stuff!) in small quantities to keep that metabolism working and to try different flavors in a new and exciting place.
BONUS KITTY PIC
Restaurant Rave: Kho’s Asian Bistro
After our workouts (usually legs) at the Longmont YMCA, we typically go out to eat. It’s our eating-out treat day. And for the past two Fridays, we’ve gone to Kho’s Asian Bistro. You can guess if this is going to be a positive review or not. WE LOVE IT HERE. It’s not just the food, which is obviously made with love, but the incredible atmosphere and service.
So this place is tucked away, literally you have to go down No Name Road to get there. No, seriously, it exists. Once you get there, it’s in a complex with other shops. As soon as we walk in, we’re blasted to Malaysia, with fountains and beautiful sculptures and ethnic items on the wall. The sushi chef is the first to say hello and wave us to a table.
After being seated, we are soon approached by a waitress (all three we’ve interacted with have been absolutely great) and offered drinks. I almost without fail can never resist a Thai Iced Tea. Chris gets his green tea which comes in a huge pot and fills us up plenty.
We’re also pretty settled upon what we want at this point and we order our appetizer (Chris gets white rice, I get Hot n Sour Soup). The thing I love about this place is that everyone here is earnest and really wants to make you happy. We’re smiling as soon as we walk in the door.
We gobble down that quickly and we order our dishes. The first time, I got a Malaysian Curry and it was delicious (I could barely make a dent in it). Chris got the Una-Don which is his favorite. This time, I got the Buddhist Delight and he got Shrimp Ramen. I can never finish the dishes here, they’re so huge and decently priced. Packed with flavor but none of the heavy sauces that always hurt my tummy.
You can just tell: IT LOOKS DELICIOUS. BECAUSE IT IS. And that’s not all. This is the second time we’ve been here and the second time we’ve received a little special something on the house. This time it was two veggie pieces of sushi. Needless to say, we were happy.
Speaking of sushi, they have the best white tuna I’ve tasted so far. Haven’t loved it (because we’re spoiled from the coasts), but I definitely ate all my pieces last time I had some. The only negative about this restaurant is that they don’t have ethnic music on…it’s current music which we dislike. All in all, this is a fantastic joint and we will be coming back every Friday. We feel so welcomed, wanted, and happy that we’d be fools to go elsewhere. Thanks Kho’s Asian Cuisine! And where else can you find such great fortune cookie fortunes…
Cheers!
Bisque Me! Beautiful Butternut Squash Bisque
Now, I’m no Master Soup-Maker. In fact, this is my first time cooking a soup (or bisque, rather) from scratch. And it turned out really well! I got my basis for the recipe here, but I really changed this one up. Also, apologies for the lack of postings, busy lives! We’ll get back into it, we have a lot in store for you still. Alright, get ready!
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Butter
- 1/2 onion
- 3/4 cup of diced carrots
- Butternut squash
- Vegetable stock
- Salt/pepper to taste
- Cinnamon to taste
- Brown sugar to taste
- Ground ginger to taste
- Garlic
Alright! Semi-long list but once you have everything cut up it’s easy. And the last few are to taste, throw your own ideas in there too. Ginger, brown sugar, and cinnamon just gave that nice soothing Fall flavor. So amazing on the cold nights we’ve been getting in Boulder.
Directions:
- Cut up your butternut squash (I would roast it before hand, it was NOT fun to cut raw), carrots, and onions into cubes or small pieces.
- Next, put some oil and butter into a big pot. I added some garlic in there too. Watch out, the smell is divine.
- Once that’s nice and hot, pop in the onions.
- Once the onions are nice and tender, put in the carrots and squash. And, though I’m not explicitly saying it, throughout this I’m putting in salt, pepper, garlic pepper, cinnamon, brown sugar, etc. Do it to taste. Make it your own.
- Stir it around and then pour your vegetable stock in and bring to boil. You’re going to leave these in here, boiling, until all the vegetables are nice and tender.
- Alright! So your veggies and nice and tender…I hope you have a blender or food processor! Because you want to throw all that mixture into that blender or food processor and blend it until smooth. Now we have a really bad blender, and although it took some time, even ours was able to blend all these. So you can do it!
- Once that’s all blended, pour back into the heated pot. Here, you can add cream into it if you want (I didn’t). I stirred in a lot of cinnamon, ground ginger, and brown sugar in at this point to get it to that flavor I wanted to. Just stir and taste until you are satisfied.
And voila! You are done! Wasn’t too hard, was it? I really really suggest it as we move into winter…it is so nice and hearty. Very warm. There might be a holiday coming up where you can use this… Let me know if you have any questions!
(BONUS KITTY PIC)