how2notdieblog

There are days when cooking is about creativity. And then there are days when cooking is about survival, safety, and conserving energy.

This bowl came through for me on a day when I needed some true food-related encouragement.

I couldn’t eat what my family was eating. Again. And truth be told, it rarely ever bothers me. I’m in so much relief now that I have my mast cell condition diagnosed and being treated, and know what foods I need to avoid. Why would I ever go back to the pain I was previously living in?

But the other night I was in my feels and feeling blue. I don’t miss eating out but I miss the convenience. I miss when food fumes didn’t make me sick. And I miss the social aspect of eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Being able to make a quick stop somewhere or spontaneously order out. The experiences are what I miss.

But instead of spiraling about it, I shifted focus. Just like our dear Courtney Cooks says “we’re not stressing!”

So I built a meal from foods I knew were safe for me and didn’t require more than one pan or a lot of standing.

So why rice noodles, squash, and shrimp?

Rice noodles are one of my comfort staples. They give me an alternative to the texture of regular rice. They’re neutral, reliable, and can easily be eaten plain or spruced up.

Delicata squash is one of the few vegetables I can enjoy right now, and air frying it makes it feel special. It’s a new texture that excites – without being too difficult to prepare.

Shrimp is a safe protein for me, and I just so happened to have some in the freezer (thanks, Sis! I’ll replace them!). Shrimp feels fancy enough to be special and changes up the usual chicken or beef routine in my standard rotation. A little olive oil, a quick pan fry from frozen to limit histamine, and they’re done before my body has time to protest that I’m still standing in the kitchen. (Big win for the potsies) 🥄

For flavor and spice, I focused on white pepper (if you haven’t experienced the joy that white pepper brings, I highly recommend adding it to your grocery list) and nutritional yeast- they both add warmth and depth without overwhelming my system.

I finished the bowl by topping it with Follow Your Heart vegan feta. It adds a salty, creamy contrast without dairy or gluten, and the slight sweetness from it compliments the delicata squash so well!

You’ll see below that this isn’t a chef’s recipe.

There are no fancy techniques or any culinary expertise that brought this recipe to life. The textures and flavors may seem odd at first- but the warmth and filling nature of the bowl really makes it a winner.

If you’re cooking with chronic illness, food allergies, limited energy, or a body that changes the rules constantly, you’re not alone.

You don’t need perfect meals.

You need meals that keep you going.

Give this one a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

(Note the tips I leave below for prepping a few things extra to have leftovers in separate components for accessible reheating and making of more meals later in the week.)

Simple Shrimp, Delicata Squash & Rice Noodle Bowl

Recipes from a Non-Chef • Allergy-Aware • Comfort Food

Serves: 1 generous bowl (or 2 smaller portions)

Ingredients:

Rice noodles (about 2 oz dry, cooked per package instructions)

1 delicata squash, sliced into half-moons and seeds removed

Olive oil (about 1–2 tablespoons total)

White pepper, to taste

Nutritional yeast, to taste

Frozen shrimp, peeled, tail off, and deveined (frozen, about 6–8 oz)

Vegan feta cheese (Follow Your Heart brand)

Instructions:

1. Roast the squash

Preheat air fryer to 375°F. Drizzle your sliced delicata squash with olive oil. Arrange, then shake on white pepper and nutritional yeast- I do mine on a sheet of foil, but you do whatever works best for you and your machine. Air fry for 10–14 minutes, shaking halfway through or flipping.

2. Cook the rice noodles:

Prepare rice noodles according to package instructions. They’re usually pretty temperamental. When the package says 10 seconds in boiling water and immediately remove them and strain- DO IT. otherwise you will have mush. I like to immediately refrigerate mine but you do you. I go ahead and prepare the whole bag and stow away all that I won’t be using for this meal in a separate storage container in the fridge. That way I have ready to go rice noodles later in the week.

3. Pan-fry the shrimp:

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 2–3 minutes per side until opaque and lightly golden. Remove from heat immediately to avoid overcooking. Be careful if cooking frozen and be mindful of popping oil.

4. Assemble the bowl:

Add rice noodles to a bowl. Top with roasted delicata squash and shrimp. I like to stage them so they’re each resting on their own side of the bowl. Finish with crumbled Follow Your Heart vegan feta. Optional: add an extra sprinkle of nutritional yeast or white pepper if desired.

Serve immediately.

And that’s it!

That’s all there is to it. Now go make this yourself and show me a photo of what yours looks like. The creaminess from the vegan feta and the delicata squash with the bite from the shrimp and slight stickiness from the rice noodles all pair so well together.

Hi friends! My name is Lauren. Thank you for being here and for making it this far. If you like what I’m doing here and want to support me/the blog – feel welcome to follow along on Instagram or TikTok– where we’re 5.5k strong and continuing to grow! You can also Buy Me a Cup of Coffee (isn’t that cool? I’m learning something new everyday!). Click around for some of the best resources I’ve found for food allergies, clinical trials, and drug info. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m also accepting patient stories, if anyone’s interested in sharing their rare disease experience or looking for a place to share their diagnostic odyssey or promote your blog/business – reach out to me, I’d love to elevate other rare voices. I’m so happy you’re here and happy you’re alive for another day. <3 XoXo, Lauren