Leftovers #61 ~ Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles

 

I can't take full credit for this. My leftovers were inspired by Nigella Lawson's Creamy Dreamy Peanut Butter Pasta recipe. After foraging around the kitchen for lunch, I found some leftover stir-fry noodles, green onion and carrots... instantaneously I remembered watching Nigella's video recipe, although not committed to memory, I did recall some key ingredients and instead went with what I had, peanut butter, soy sauce, crushed dried chili flakes, green onions, carrots and leftover noodles.

Adding some oil to a frypan over medium heat I tossed the noodles to warm them up. I quickly sliced the green onions and grated the carrot. In a bowl I added about 2 to 3 tablespoons of peanut butter, smooth or crunchy, doesn't matter, and 1 to 2  teaspoons of low sodium soy sauce, stirred together then poured it over the noodles in the frypan. Added the green onions and carrot, sprinkled with crushed chili flakes, adjust according to your level of spiciness, and using tongs to toss and coat. Throughly mixing everything together and ensuring the sauce and vegetables are heated through. I found this incredibly tasty, substantial and moreish! The crushed chili flakes gave it a delicate spicy kick and as the noodles cooled they got more sticky however still very edible; I possibly need to tweak the sauce ingredients. 

I would still like to try Nigella's recipe as it uses spinach.. for not following a recipe and being inspired by one, this was delicious and quick and an excellent way to use leftovers!   

Food Photo of the Day ~ Tofu Noodle Rice Bowl

 

Wanting to change things up however still remain familiar, our stir-fry dinner became something of a combination of ingredients and leftovers. Tofu was panfried and then cooked in a rich hoisin sauce, noodles were cooked and panfried, leftover rice was transformed into sticky soy rice, slices of fresh green onion and cucumber, delicately diced mini peppers, handful of crisp lettuce, a few prepackaged spring rolls and a couple shakes of sesame seeds all created this enjoyable flavourful dinner.  

Food Photo of the Day ~ Noodle Soup

Noodle soups are the most versatile meal one can make. By simply adding fresh or frozen vegetables changes the the flavour and your outlook. A quick and nutritious slurp and brimming broth eases the understated ordinary into something exceptional and satisfying. It's amazing what frozen peas, peppers and kale can do!   

Enjoy the rest of the week and have a nice weekend! - JD

Noodles

Noodles and noodle dishes are versatile. They may make any dish more nutritious, more substantial; giving an added touch of comfort to any bowl or plate. Whole grain or not and combined with veggies, meat or tofu; will have any noodle dish bursting with flavour and filling a need. Just like potatoes and rice. 

I always enjoy these one ingredient coffee table cookbooks because they make one consider a specific ingredient and most recipes are not complicated and use items one may already have on hand. A simple way to offer a recipe that may resolve any meal dilemmas and help you create an uncomplicated tasty meal.  

With this cookbook noodles are divided into Noodle Salads, Noodle Soups, Easy Noodle Dinners, Macaroni & Cheese, Asian Noodles, Italian Noodles and Mediterranean Noodles. 

So there may be a noodle for everyone. I would like to share this simple infused dish that  is quick and easy, from the book. It is great on it's own or with tofu or meat. 

Peanut Thai Pasta

----------------------------------------------------

makes 4 servings

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti

1/2 cup half and half

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup sliced green onions

chopped peanuts and chopped fresh cilantro

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to saucepan; keep warm.

2. Combine half and half, peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, lemon juice, ginger and red pepper flakes in a medium sauce pan. Cook and stir over medium heat 4 minutes or until smooth and creamy; pour over pasta.

3. Add carrots and green onions; mix well. Sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend. - JD 

Crock Pot • The Original Slow Cooker • Bowls

At the turn of the New Year, I read an article about how we should be using slow cookers more as they are efficient and use up less energy. Nothing beats a delicious slow cooked meal that takes minimal effort. 

As typical as these cookbooks are, there are some tasty recipes waiting to be tried. Large glossy photos and one pages recipes to inspire you to dust off that slow cooker and get simmering. These recipes suggest efficiently cooked meals served in a bowl. Which is right on trend with current foodies. 

A variety of recipes for beef, lamb, pork, vegetarian, chicken and turkey as well as side dishes and delicious desserts. All complete with helpful slow cooking tips. I hope that the following recipe will tempt and inspire you. 

Chicken Cacciatore
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Makes 6 servings

4 teaspoons olive oil
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 medium red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 cup onion, sliced
14 grape tomatoes
1 1/2 cup of water
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Hot cooked noodles or rice, optional


1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. Add half of chicken to skillet; cook 4 minutes per side or until browned. Remove to large plate. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and chicken.

2. Add bell peppers, onion, and grape tomatoes to Crock-Pot® slow Cooker. Combine water, flour, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, paprika and ground red pepper in medium bowl; mix well. Add to the Crock-Pot® slow cooker. Top with chicken. Cover; cook on LOW 8 to 9 hours or on HIGH 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Serve with noodles, if desired. 


Hope everyone has been having a good week so far. - JD 

My Week In Food

Grilled cheese sandwich. Need I say more. Nothing can be more comforting than melted cheese. 

Herbed Pasta with Sausage and Asiago cheese. Bitterly cold temperatures mean carbohydrates are more welcome on ones dinner plate. Pasta smothered in olive oil, crushed garlic, dashes of cumin and chilli flakes, slices of sausage and tossed with a generous amount of grated asiago feed the masses. 

Super Noodles. One of my guilty food pleasures especially since it is estimated at 15% sodium. That is great for noodle soups. Usually they have around 40-80% sodium content. This one, I found at the local British shop and the mild curry flavour is very appealing. 

Egg Drop Noodle Soup. It was easy! Crack an egg open and drop it into the boiling water just before adding the noodles. After adding some mixed chilli spice and freshly grated lime rind, lunch was served. Sometimes I discard the seasoning packet and replace that with 1/2 cup of vegetable or chicken stock and 1 1/2 cups water. This noodle soup one is from Sobey's and it is their Our Compliments brand Spicy Chicken. It is not bad salt wise, only 23%. I like to add different veggies and meat to them. This way it becomes much more of a well rounded meal. 

King George Rich Christmas Cake. Not even a crumble was left behind. The box is empty  and now lies in the recycling bin. However King George remains in our culinary memory until next Christmas. 

  
Perogies, sausage, and salad. This made for a simple however relaxing dinner.  

Have a good weekend everyone! - JW 

Stroganoff Sauce

I made this Stroganoff sauce the other night to serve over spaetzle. It was easy and quick. This sauce can be whipped up in no time and served over rice, egg noodles and potatoes. Here is the recipe. 

2 cups sliced mushrooms 

1 chopped onion

2-3 tablespoons of butter

1 1/4 cups low sodium organic chicken/veggie stalk

I cup of light sour cream ( or about half of a 500ml container)

a pinch of salt and pepper

mild smoked paprika 

Over medium high heat melt the butter in a pan. Then add the mushrooms and onion. Stirring so that they don't burn. Sauté the mushrooms and onion in the butter. When onions and mushrooms have soften and shrunk in size add some salt and pepper. Then add the chicken or veggie stalk. Let simmer and stir occasionally. Then add the sour cream. Stir until smooth and let heat. Then add the paprika. Stir. Give it a few more seconds to heat. Then serve. 

I don't have an amount of how much paprika you should use. Depending on how much you like paprika... and I like it a lot. I kept adding the paprika until I felt it was the right amount. Until the sauce became a deep golden orange. 

The cold weather has come bringing a few flurries. Stay warm and enjoy your weekend!  
-JW 

Saturday Afternoon Soup

I know it sounds crazy to have a bowl of soup in the summertime but after running errands and doing a bit of shopping... in the rain I may add, soup can be very fitting! I took some low sodium chicken broth. Added a bit of water, a tablespoon of olive oil, a good measure of broken dried noodles, some chopped broccoli, bits of corn and some seasonings. Put it all together in a pot and let it simmer on the stove until the noodles were tender. The soup hit the spot as a burst from a sun shower appeared! Hope you are having a good weekend! - JW