Peanut Butter Noodles

This came from allrecipes.com. 

Ingredients

8 ounces spaghetti (next time I will use udon noodles)

1 bunch green onions, sliced (white parts only)

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root (I used ginger paste)

1/3 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup hot water

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon white sugar

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

 

Directions

1.Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until done. Drain.

2. Combine oil and onions in a small skillet. Saute over low heat until tender. Add ginger; cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in peanut butter, soy sauce, water, vinegar, sugar, and red pepper flakes.

3.Toss noodles with sauce.

 

I threw some lightly salted peanuts on top of the pasta.

Another recipe I found used chicken broth, chile paste, honey and garlic in the sauce mixture.  I will add those the next time, they seem like a good addition.

Kinda Sorta Tom Ka Gai

My friend Mellen emailed me this recipe and I made it last night.  Sooo easy - hardly any chopping at all.  Her recipe is first and I included my changes below it.  It turned out really well and seems more like soup than a thick sauce. 

1 poached chicken breast, shredded
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 small onion, sliced thin
1.5 cups chicken broth
1 can (or a bit less) coconut milk (NOT the sweetened kind - made that mistake once!)
1 stalk lemon grass, tender, chopped fine
1 can Thai red curry (could use any kind)
1Tablespoon fish sauce
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
Cilantro for garnish. Chopped peanuts if you like, too.

Sautée the onion and pepper, then dump everything in and stir it well and simmer for 1/2 hour or so. Serve over rice or rice noodles.

What I changed:

I put three chicken breasts in a huge skillet with a fair bit of olive oil and steamed it in there for 30 minutes.  I took them out and put them in a covered container. 

I used an entire red bell pepper.
I used maybe 2 cups of chicken broth.
I used half a small jar of Thai red curry paste.
I forgot to buy cilantro.
I remembered to buy peanuts but forgot to use them as a garnish.
I cut one breast into tiny pieces and threw it back in the soup mixture for the 30 minute simmer.  It was lost in all that liquid, I could easily have used two or three breasts.

Excellent soup over rice.  The only thing missing to make it actual Tom Ka Gai appears to be ginger. 

Cuban Black Bean Stew (Martha Stewart)

Martha Stewart helped me cook tonight - and bonus, this qualifies as vegan.

This is fantastic!  Do not forget the cider vinegar, it's vital.  You can smell it a mile away.  I didn't use oregano.  I squeezed lime into my bowl of "stew", and crumbled lime tortilla chips on top.  I intended to use avocados but the one I bought was too hard.  There were no squishy ones, alas.  Maybe by this wkd it will be ready to slice on top. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
• 2 cans (19 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Garnishes (optional): lime wedges, fresh cilantro, and sliced radishes

Directions

1. Prepare rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add beans, broth, vinegar, and oregano. Cook, mashing some beans with the back of a spoon, until slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Fluff rice with a fork. Serve beans over rice, with garnishes, if desired.

http://www.marthastewart.com/337366/cuban-black-bean-stew-with-rice