(Family Features) Many busy weeknights come down to one decision for frazzled families: cook at home or give in to takeout cravings. Instead of stressing over a decision, enjoy the best of both worlds and make Asian-inspired dishes from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Featuring a blend of chilled, freshly chopped vegetables; ready-to-eat, pre-cooked noodles; gourmet dressing sauce; and crispy toppings, Fresh Express Hot or Cold Salad and Noodle Meal Kits offer two meal options in every bag – hot or cold – so you can make your salad, your way. Available in Teriyaki, Asian Sweet Ginger and Korean Sesame flavors, they’re the perfect inspiration for making takeout-style dishes at home.

Consider this Marinated Teriyaki Steak with Teriyaki Noodle Salad recipe, which combines juicy steak with crisp vegetables and pre-cooked Udon noodles for the ultimate at-home comfort food in an effortless meal. For a quick and delicious solution that may just become a family go-to, these Teriyaki Tofu Bowls are jam-packed with flavor, noodles and fresh veggies.

These homemade favorites feature a delicious blend of broccoli, red and green cabbage, kale, shredded carrots, radish and green onions in Fresh Express’s Hot or Cold Teriyaki Salad and Noodle Meal Kit. The vegetable blend is tossed with pre-cooked Udon noodles, white sesame seeds and crunchy wontons then finished with a gourmet teriyaki dressing sauce for familiar Asian flavor.

Visit freshexpress.com/hot-or-cold to discover more than 300 fresh recipes and find a store near you.

Marinated Teriyaki Steak with Teriyaki Noodle Salad

Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 24 minutes
Servings: 4

• 1/2 cup dark soy sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
• 1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock
• 1 pound flank steak
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 bag (16.9 ounces) Fresh Express Hot or Cold Teriyaki Salad and Noodle Meal Kit

1. In saucepan, add soy sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha sauce and chicken stock; bring to simmer while whisking. Simmer 4 minutes.
2. Cool mixture down until cool to touch, about 20 minutes.
3. Slice steak into thin strips and place in bowl. Pour marinade over steak and marinate for 1 hour.
4. In large pan over medium-high heat, stir-fry steak 2 minutes.
5. Remove steak from pan and allow to rest.
6. In same pan used for steak, add oil and cook hot or cold kit according to instructions on bag.
7. Add steak back to pan and stir to incorporate.
8. Garnish with toppings from hot or cold kit and serve.

Teriyaki Tofu Bowls

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons white pepper
• 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice
• 1/3 cup neutral oil
• 1 package (16 ounces) extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 bag (16.9 ounces) Fresh Express Teriyaki Hot or Cold Salad and Noodle Meal Kit

1. In bowl, whisk vinegar, dark soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, white pepper and Chinese five-spice until combined.
2. Slowly pour oil into mixture while whisking vigorously. Place cut tofu in mixture and allow to sit 15 minutes.
3. Bring large saute pan to medium-high heat and place tofu in, turning when crust forms.
4. When tofu is finished, set aside and prepare hot or cold salad and noodle meal kit.
5. Serve with tofu on top of hot or cold salad and noodle meal kit.

 Source: Fresh Express

(Family Features) Next time hunger calls in your home, turn to a filling family favorite: pasta. With a nearly endless variety of pasta types, sauce pairings and recipe ideas, the options are aplenty, and cooking is often a breeze.

Consider these pasta cooking tips from Rouxbe, an online culinary school training people of all abilities to become better, more confident cooks.

• Use a large, straight-sided pot with 6 quarts of water for every 1 pound of pasta. Bring to a boil, add 1 teaspoon of salt for each quart of water and stir to dissolve.
• Wait for rapidly boiling water before adding pre-made pasta then cook according to package instructions for al dente, which means the pasta offers a slight resistance. For stuffed or fresh pasta, aim for a gentle boil and cook 1-5 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water for use in sauces then drain (never rinse) your pasta.  
• Add pasta to your sauce; never the other way around. Pair thin pastas like angel hair with lighter sauces, seafoods, basil and light oils. Fettucine, penne and rigatoni complement spicy sausage, heavy creams and chunky ragu. When in doubt, spaghetti offers a versatile option.

Pasta is a natural fit for fresh veggies, and you can put your skills to the test with Pappardelle with Garden Vegetables or create Homemade Potato Gnocchi to freeze and enjoy later.

For more information, visit rouxbe.com.

Pappardelle with Garden Vegetables

Total time: 1 hour
Servings: 3-4

•             Salted water
• 3          tablespoons olive oil
• 3          tablespoons shallots or white onion, minced
• 2          cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4       teaspoon chili flakes
• 1          cup white wine
• 2          cups pappardelle noodles
• 3/4       cup vegetable stock
• 3          tablespoons capers (optional)
• 2          vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced in wedges
• 1          handful baby kale
• 1          fresh lemon, juice only
• 2          tablespoons butter (optional)
• sea salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1          handful fresh basil, torn

1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil.
2. In fry pan on medium-high heat, add olive oil and onions; saute 2 minutes. Lower heat slightly and add garlic and chile flakes. Saute on medium heat 2-3 minutes. Add white wine and deglaze pan. Cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm until ready to add freshly cooked pasta.
3. In pot of boiling water, add pappardelle. Cook according to package instructions then drain.
4. Place fry pan back on medium heat. Add drained pasta; vegetable stock; capers, if desired; tomatoes; baby kale; and lemon juice. Add butter, if desired, and toss well. Cook 2-3 minutes, tossing occasionally, and season with salt and pepper, to taste, and fresh basil.
5. Toss again, remove from heat and serve.

Homemade Potato Gnocchi

Total time: 2 hours
Servings: 2-4

• 2          medium Yukon Gold or russet potatoes
• 3/4       teaspoon sea salt, divided
• 2          teaspoons water
• 1          cup all-purpose flour, divided, plus additional, for surface
• 1/4       teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8       teaspoon white pepper
• 2          large egg yolks

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Place potatoes on sheet of foil, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and water; wrap. Bake 40 minutes, or until cooked through.
2. Peel potatoes while hot. Cut and rice potatoes. Let potatoes cool completely.
3. To make dough, sprinkle potatoes with flour. Aerate with bench scraper then add remaining salt, nutmeg and white pepper.
4. Break up egg yolks and pour over potatoes. Cover surface with flour. Continue cutting and gently lifting dough.
5. Test dough by squeezing gently; it shouldn’t stick. Add flour, if needed.
6. Shape dough into rectangle and fold several times, using fingertips to bring together. Flatten dough out until it reaches finger thickness. Sprinkle with flour and let rest 5-10 minutes.
7. Cut finger-width strips of dough and sprinkle strips with flour. Roll out each strip and cut ropes into 3/4-inch pieces. Separate slightly and flour well.
8. Fresh gnocchi can sit at room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.
9. To freeze: Place gnocchi on tray, making sure they aren’t touching. Once frozen, transfer to plastic freezer bag and freeze up to 2 months. Cook gnocchi from frozen and serve with desired sauce.

 Photos courtesy of Getty Images

Source: Rouxbe