Today, while eating my standard Asian Lean Cuisine, along with a very boring green salad with shredded carrots and rice wine vinegar, I had a stroke of genius. (Perhaps I exaggerate, but I was very excited). If I combined the two, and added some fresh herbs (mint, Thai basil), chopped green onions and siracha (red chili garlic sauce) I would have a very close replication of one of my favorite lunches. At Miss Saigon, a Vietnamese restaurant in Coral Gables, my favorite dish is the Miss Saigon Noodle bowl. It is a big bowl of noodles, mixed with chopped lettuce, shredded carrots, grilled chicken, grilled shrimp and (the best part) sliced spring rolls. They bring it to the table with chopsticks and the siracha, ask you how hot you like it and toss it together for you right there. It is delicious, but as for calories, I wouldn't even want to guess. Taking an Asian Lean Cuisine (this one was 260 calories), you know exactly what you're getting and the rice wine vinegar is only 20 calories per tablespoon, the siracha and herbs- zero. And the taste, priceless. It really improves the flavor and sneaks a couple of the six servings of veggies you're supposed to have each day. Luckily, my mint is going crazy in my garden and I'd just bought some Thai basil at a plant sale, which has a lovely, licorice flavor that is perfect complement to Asian cuisine. There are other Asian Lean Cuisines you could use this idea with- Chicken with Peanut sauce, or my new favorite Thai Chicken Noodle; in fact any Asian entree with noodles will work beautifully. As Rachel Ray says so perkily- Yummo!
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