Changing up lunch with a cold noodle salad

Lunch doesn't always have to be sandwiches, as there are an abundance of alternatives that are easy as well as portable for packed lunches.  Some favorites in my house are cold noodle salads or couscous salads, which are an incredibly easy and filling solution while still being light.  For this particular dish I used Cantonese Style noodles that I bought from a Chinese Supermarket.  I have talked about this a few times and I just wanted to mention it again, finding a Ethnic Supermarket can be an wonderful way to get a great bargain.  I am able to buy things like oil, soy sauce, noodles and tofu and much cheaper prices then I would find in the regular supermarket.  Do a little research in your town, it may surprise you to find that there are one or two small ethnic grocery stores in your area that you didn't even know about.  Their appearance on the outside might intimidate you if you have never been to something like that before but give it a try. They are often small, family run operations that need the community's support to survive and as I mentioned it will give you access to ingredients that are either hard to find in the regular supermarket or at least cheaper.  I have so much fun stocking myself up with noodles so that I always have something unique within reach for a quick meal.

Chinese Brown Sauce- Homemade Chinese food that will make your family ask to stay in

Of course we all know that it is both healthier and cheaper to eat at home then eat out but when you are in the mood for certain foods it can be a bit temptation to go out.  A nice lasagna just doesn't taste right when what you were in the mood for was a nice Chinese meal.  But the thing is when you are busy it isn't always convenient to look up recipes and try to make an exotic meal for the first time.  So I wanted to share a little trick with you.  The key is learning at least one sauce recipe by heart and then when it comes to mastering a Chinese meal you will impress even the pickiest of eaters.  This sauce that I am going to share with you is a typical Chinese Brown sauce.  It is easy to make and can be used in hundreds of ways.