Lunch in North Carolina

During Labor Day weekend, my mom made us amazing lunches and dinners since we missed her home cooking so much. Everyday we had something delicious and I took some pictures of one of our meals:

Our lunch spread:

Fried brown rice with asparagus and eggs:

My mom doesn’t use white rice, but instead, makes nutritious brown rice that’s nuttier and more flavorful. She adds some eggs and asparagus to make the rice more interesting.

Mung bean noodles with cucumbers and peanut butter:

Mung bean noodles are really easy to make and can be pan fried with hot sauce or eaten cold with a ton of different toppings. My favorite: cucumbers and peanut butter (with soy sauce, sesame oil, and vinegar).

Corn on the cob:

I grew up eating a ton of corn on the cob (or corn mixed with mashed potatoes), but I never seem to eat corn when I’m in New York. Maybe it’s just too difficult to cook because I don’t have any pots large enough to fit in an ear of corn!

My personal favorite: mu-er (wood ear mushrooms) with roasted red peppers, red onions, and cilantro:

My mom roasted the red peppers, soaked the wood ear mushrooms, and sliced up some red onions and cilantro to put this dish together. It was slightly sweet from the peppers and was refreshing from the cilantro. The combination of all of the flavors was a big party in my mouth and the textures were all great, too.

We also had a big party while we were home – I’ll post pictures from the feast my mom prepared later this week!