Pages

Showing posts with label noodle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label noodle. Show all posts

Friday, June 19, 2015

Spicy Thai Peanut Noodle Salad A Perfect Summer Potluck Dish


Hard to believe, but it’s just under a week until July 4th! Between now and then, I’ll be sharing recipes that are perfect for celebrating with family and friends! I’ve got a fun twist on potato salad to share for this week’s #SundaySupper...as well as a firecracker of a burger recipe and a fun vanilla treat...coming up in the next few days. Today, I’m kicking things off with a flavorful Spicy Thai Peanut Noodle Salad. It’s perfect for taking to summer potlucks, because it’s delicious both cold and at room temperature...and it contains no dairy products. 

As soon as I saw this recipe on the Cooks Country website last week, I immediately added it to this weeks menu! Cook’s Country is part of the America’s Test Kitchen family, and their recipes never disappoint! What’s not to like? They do all the trial-and-error work for you. All you have to do is make the final kitchen-tested, no-fail recipe and enjoy the compliments! I used their peanut-based dressing recipe and prep technique, but I did make a few small tweaks. I added sriracha to the dressing instead of the suggested Tabasco, and I changed the veggies up just a bit. I used crunchy cucumber and carrot, as well as a double shot of onions This salad is knock-your-socks-off good!

Spicy Thai Peanut Noodle Salad
adapted from Cooks Country

Step 1:  Cook 1 lb. of spaghetti in a pot of well-salted water. While the pasta cooks, make the dressing. Add the following ingredients to a large bowl: 3/4 cup chunky peanut butter, 1/3 cup soy sauce, 3 tbs. vinegar, 1 tbs. grated fresh ginger, 1 tbs. sriracha (or Tabasco), 1 tsp. honey, 1/3 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water, and 1 tsp. dried cilantro. Whisk well to combine and set aside.


Step 2:  When the pasta is cooked, drain well in a colander under cold water. Keep rinsing until the pasta has cooled to room temperature. Place the cooled spaghetti in a large bowl and add 2 tbs. sesame oil...toss to evenly coat. Add the following veggies: 1/2 a cucumber seeded and cut into a small dice, 1/2 cup carrot cut into bite-sized pieces, 4 sliced green onions, and 1/2 cup sweet yellow onion cut into thin matchstick slivers. 


Step 3:  Add the reserved dressing and 2 tbs. chopped flat-leaf parsley. Toss everything together with tongs. Make sure that the dressing evenly coats all the noodles and the veggies. Serve immediately at room temperate or chill. The original recipe notes that you should remove chilled pasta from the fridge about 20 minutes before serving for the proper consistency.


There you have it: noodles, spicy peanut sauce, and crisp veggies...I loved this international spin on pasta salad! The heat level was perfect for us with 1 tbs. of sriracha, but feel free to up that amount if you like your food especially fiery. I served this noodle salad with the leftover Honey Ginger Soy Chicken that I made for this week’s #SundaySupper. The flavors worked really nicely together, but you could easily add grilled shrimp or diced tofu to make this a light Summer main dish. One final note: the recipe suggests keeping all of the cooked ingredients separate and tossing everything together just before serving if you’re transporting it to a party.
Read more »

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

October Secret Recipe Club Lemony Chicken Noodle Soup from A Fit and Spicy Life

Where has the year gone to? I just flipped the calendar, and its hard to believe that its already October! That means its finally almost time for "soup weather to arrive back in Texas. I love making a big pot of soup for dinner on chilly evenings, so Im always on the lookout for great soup recipes. Lucky for me, my assigned blog for this months Secret Recipe Club offered up plenty of great soup options. Mellissa from A Fit and Spicy Life lives in Minnesota -- where Winters are much colder than the ones we experience here in Texas. She has an amazing collection of healthy and flavorful soups, and I knew I had found a winner when I saw her Chicken Orzo Soup.

I loved her addition of lemon and orzo, making this soup reminiscent of tangy Greek agvolemono soup. I had to make a few adjustments to her recipe based on ingredients  that I had on hand in my kitchen. Due to some car issues, I wasnt able to get to the grocery store to buy orzo...so I had to improvise a bit to use what I already had on hand. That means I had to use egg noodles instead of orzo. I also subbed a combination of yellow onion and garlic for leeks, used chicken breast instead of thighs, and added a bit of corn that was in my freezer. Luckily, I already had dill and lemons in the kitchen -- which are the essential ingredients that give this soup its unique flavor. 

Lemony Chicken Noodle Soup
adapted from A Fit and Spicy Life
Ingredients:
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite-size cubes
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 8 ounces no boil egg noodles
  • 1 tbsp dill
  • 2 bay leaves
  • A few dashes hot sauce
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Juice of 1 lemon
Directions:
Step 1: Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies have softened a bit -- about 10 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Step 2: Add the diced chicken breast to the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned on all sides. Add the chicken broth, corn, and bay leaves. Bring the soup to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to med-low, and simmer for 20-25 minutes. 
Step 3: Add the egg noodles and cook until tender -- about 10 minutes. Just before serving, add the dill, hot sauce, and lemon juice. Stir well to combine and ladle the soup into serving bowls.
This soup is so good...a comforting and filling complete meal in a bowl. The lemon juice and dill brought a unique flavor profile that elevated this soup above the usual chicken and noodle. I especially enjoyed the tart flavor that the lemon provided, and the addition of corn worked nicely with the carrots and celery. I cant wait to make this flavorful soup again during the upcoming cold-weather season!

Be sure to check out all of the great recipes that todays Secret Recipe Club participants are sharing -- youre sure to find something great to add to your upcoming menus! 

An InLinkz Link-up

Read more »