A Few of My Favorite Things

     I admit I'm rather high maintenance when it comes to eating.  I love a wide variety of food, and I can't eat the same thing day after day.  I don't like leftovers because I've just had it.  So, it's quite an endorsement if I like something so much that I eat it regularly.  There are so many great restaurants out there but not every dish is a winner.  When I find one though, I find myself thinking about when I can have it again.  Here are some of my favorite dishes which were a life saver the year we gave up meat. . .
    In Broomfield, there are so many Pho places, but I bet you have a favorite.  Mine is Pho Duy, located conveniently next to Pacific Ocean Asian market.  Their pho is quite good but ever since I discovered it, I always get the Bun Bo Hue Chay, a spicy vegetarian noodle soup.  When the weather cools, there is nothing more comforting than this pipping hot bowl filled with fat vermicelli noodles in a spicy, savory broth with tofu and veggies.  I can smell it now.  Bright green broccoli florets, crispy carrots, and straw mushrooms float alongside tofu multiple ways.  There is fried tofu, dried bean curd, crispy tofu skin, and a tofu veggie fritter.  Trust me, this is not the flavorless white block in a plastic container.  Tofu can be exciting and exotic.  All this soy protein is garnished with fresh scallions as well as crispy fried shallots, adding another dimension of flavor.  You will never be so fulfilled without eating a bite of meat.
    Another constant craving of mine happens to be a noodle soup from Ting's Chinese Restaurant in Lafayette.  I confess, I'm partial to noodles.  This dish is listed on the lunch menu, but I was told you can order it for dinner, too.  For the adventurer who can't be satisfied with the pedestrian kung pao dishes, you will be enamored with this gargantuan bowl of smoky goodness.  I always get the seafood combination which comes with sea scallops and shrimp.  They also have beef, chicken, pork, or a combination.  The broth is rich and velvety with charred Chinese cabbage, scallops, and shrimp.  The result is a irreproducible umami symphony for your palate.  They are as generous with the succulent seafood as the noodles.  I often dream of apprenticing with the chef just to learn this dish.  But for $7.50, I will happily keep eating! 
    Also in Lafayette is a family owned gem called Morning Glory.  I am not a fan of breakfast foods but my husband loves it.  I find the sweet dishes overwhelming for the first meal of the day, and the other choices a detriment to one's health.  There is one dish at Morning Glory that I love that is actually healthy and delicious.  It also happens to be gluten free and vegetarian.  The Fried Rice Bowl is something that I would make for myself.  This stunning dish has everything I love and is well balanced with healthful grains, protein, vegetables, and fat.  Tender spinach leaves are lightly sautéed along with onions and earthy shitake mushrooms.  Diced tomatoes and red peppers provide visual contrast and sweetness.  All of which is stir fried with glistening grains of black or Forbidden rice and lightly embraced with melted white cheddar.  To top it off, you get two eggs cooked to your liking.  I usually get scrambled, but sunny side up would be brilliant.  I will be very upset if they ever take away this wonderful dish.
    So, there you have it, my favorite things to eat that I will never tire of.  Please save some for me!
     

Pho Duy's Bon Bo Hue Chay

Ting's Seafood Noodle Soup

Morning Glory's Fried Rice Bowl