“When I sat down to start this book, I had been polling my friends and colleagues on what sort of cookbook they were looking for,” writes Gwyneth Paltrow in her new release, It’s All Easy ($20; amazon.com), which comes out today. “These friends all seemed to have a common culinary yearning: they wanted a collection of recipes that they could prepare easily. They wanted to find themselves in the kitchen at the end of their overextended day and be able to prepare something delicious and quick.” With this apt description, we recognize ourselves. If you do too, we highly suggest you pick up a copy of the book.
Here is a highlight, below—a recipe for Singapore Rice Noodles—along with Paltrow’s commentary. And be sure to check out the May issue of InStyle, where we map out a brunch menu for Mother’s Day (May 8!), featuring a handful of dishes from the book that are light, delicious, and super-easy to prepare.
Singapore Rice Noodles
Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Under 30 minutes
Serves: 4
These pan-fried noodles are gluten-free, full of veggies, and kid-approved (my kids inhale this). The prep does take some time, but once you’re cooking, the dish comes together quickly, so be ready with all the ingredients. Add chicken, shrimp, or beef for a little extra protein, and if you don’t have a wok or a really big nonstick pan, use two smaller pans—these noodles don’t like to be crowded. Pan-frying noodles is not an exact science, so trust your instincts and add a couple more glugs of oil if things are looking dry or starting to stick.
Ingredients:
3½ oz. thin rice noodles (such as Eden Foods bifun noodles)
4 tbsp peanut oil
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
½ cup finely chopped broccoli
½ cup chopped green beans (½-inch pieces)
½ cup fresh or frozen peas
7 oz. firm tofu, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 tsp madras curry powder, or more to taste
1 large egg
¼ cup tamari
2 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt, if desired
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Directions:
1. Soak the rice noodles in hot water for 10 minutes or according to the package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, heat a wok or large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp each of the peanut and sesame oils. When the oils are hot but not smoking, add the onion and cook, untouched, for 1 minute to sear. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes more. Transfer the onion to a bowl.
3. Add the broccoli, green beans, peas, tofu, and another tbsp of peanut oil to the pan. Sauté over high heat until the veggies are just cooked through and the tofu is beginning to brown (about 2 minutes); transfer the veggies and tofu to the bowl with the onion.
4. Add 1 tbsp of the peanut oil, the remaining 1 tbsp of sesame oil, the soaked and drained noodles, curry powder, and 2 tbsp water to the pan and stir to combine.
5. Make a hole in the middle of the noodles, add the remaining 1 tbsp peanut oil, and crack in the egg. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon and let scramble until almost cooked through, then mix in with the noodles.
6. Add the tamari, scallions, and cilantro and stir everything to combine. Taste for seasoning, add salt if necessary, and serve.