After eating the refried beans last night, I wanted to try out a slightly different recipe. I took two cans of organic beans (three bean blend and black beans, respectively) I got at Kroger and placed their contents in a large strainer. The canned beans were cheap, and I was not willing to spend three hours boiling dried beans from scratch tonight after dealing with an extended warranty agent for 75 minutes. The dryer’s drum sounds like it got loose, so a service call is needed. I don’t know…
Anyway, I caramelized two onions, sauteed some garlic and ginger in olive oil, and dumped the rinsed beans into the large skillet. (It seems that I am developing a cooking routine.) Some salt, pepper, coriander, oregano, and Bragg Liquid Amino seasoning went in. I also added garlic and onion powder because I could. The beans picked up some flavor, but they were a bit dry. So, I dissolved a vegan stock cube in water and added Mrs. Dash seasoning because my mom kept saying to add it. The slurry turned the beans into a sloppy mess. No matter. I decided that blackstrap molasses needed to make a comeback for sweetness.
The cream of bean was fine, but some elements were missing. I scoured the boxes of miscellaneous stuff next to the counter that serve as my personal pantry and found one of the things I needed. Rice noodles! Hey, this may not yield vegan Jjajangmen Chajang Noodles because I am not using textured soy protein and fermented black soybean paste, but I will definitely eat this “healthy sludge.”
I took the last three remaining packets of Thai Kitchen’s Spring Onion Instant Noodle Soup and did the unspeakable. I took only the delicate strands of processed rice; the seasoning packs went into the trash with the wrapper (for some reason the spices give me hiccups, if not heartburn… maybe it’s the soybean oil with the red chili pepper). Nonetheless, the ratio of rice noodles to beans was rather low. Fortunately, I found Wakame and Brown Rice Ramen noodles from Lotus Foods. I did incorporate this product’s seasoning packet for the boost in umami flavor. HAHAHA! I’m biased.
Next, I stirred a few times for the noodles to absorb some of the excess liquid from the makeshift stock. Sriracha also went in to add some kick. Then I covered the skillet with the glass lid and put a timer for two minutes. I figured the steam would cook the noodles.
Effectively, the noodles quickly softened in the moist heat. After I removed the lid, they were pleasantly chewy. There is some evidence of what I claim pictured below:
Now that I study the photo, I am reminded of moujadara. I am also tempted to try making vegan koshari. Probably later in the week, though… I need to fast.
A Time to Try New Things 