Spicy Peanut Noodles

Spicy Peanut Noodles

I've been craving peanut sauce for days and we have been way to involved on the farm to make the trek to Idaho Falls for some good Thai food--so I threw this together for lunch.  I wanted to share this recipe because most of the ingredients are in your kitchen and you can be so creative with it.  As I was prepping everything I realized the mango right in front of me was just begging to be invited and it was fabulous.  So if you have a jar of peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar and some frozen peas you too can join the party.  You can have this baby on the table in under thirty minutes.

Spicy Peanut Noodles

Peanut Sauce

½ c. peanut butter

1/8 t. garlic powder

3 T sugar

¼ c. rice vinegar

3 T soy sauce

2 T sesame oil

1 T chili pepper sauce

1 lb. whole wheat thin spaghetti

2 T canola oil

1 t. sesame oil

¼ t. red pepper flakes

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 c. peas, blanched

1/3 c. roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1/3 c. cilantro, chopped

Partially fill a large pot with water for preparing pasta.  Set it to boil, in the meantime make the peanut sauce.  Place all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.  (You can use a blender, but it isn’t necessary.)

When the water begins to boil add 1 TB of salt and stir in the pasta.  Cook for the recommended time just until al dente.  Drain the pasta and run cool water over it to stop the cooking process and cool the noodles.  Drain thoroughly.  Shaking off any remaining water put the pasta in a large bowl, add canola oil and sesame oil and red pepper flakes.  Mix this until the pasta is shinny and taste for seasoning.  You may need to add a little salt—the pasta should taste nice with a hint of sesame and heat from the red pepper flakes.  Pour in half of the peanut sauce and stir it well into the pasta, repeat with the remaining sauce.  Add in the remaining ingredients and stir just until all vegetables are well incorporated.

Serve in wide open bowls, best at room temperature but also very good cold.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

**This recipe lends itself well to a variety of fresh vegetables, so get creative—cucumbers, celery, snow pea pods, etc.  Just stir in what ever is growing outside.  This would also be excellent served over a bed of spring greens.

Mango Gelato

Mango Gelato

First question, what is the difference between ice cream and gelato.  Basically gelato has less fat, less cream and more fruit.  The ice crystal consistency is like a cross between sorbet and ice cream.  You can call it what ever you want to, just make it. It's easy and the rewards are almost instantaneous.  All you need to make beautiful gelato/ ice cream is a blender, a freezer and delicious ingredients.  So get creative.

My standard combination is 1+1+1+1+1

1 cup of fruit

1 cup of juice or water

1 cup of half and half (you can use cream or milk too)

1 cup of sugar

1 pinch of salt

For mango I used 1 cup of frozen mango chunks, a cup mango juice, a cup of  half and half, almost a cup of sugar (I usually cut the sugar, it depends on the sweetness of the fruit--I start with 1/3 cup of sugar, blend and taste and then add in 1/3 cup increments until I get the perfect sweetness), a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of fresh ginger.  I put it all in the blender and blend until it looks like the perfect smoothie and then check for flavor, making any adjustments.  

I have a beautiful Cuisinart ice cream machine that churns the gelato but you do not need one.  If you have one, use it.  If you do not have an ice cream maker pour the ingredients into a large stainless steel bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and put it in your freezer.  In an hour take the bowl out and use a whisk or fork to break up the ice cream that has frozen along the edges and work it into the center of the bowl.   Repeat this procedure every hour until your ingredients look and feel like ice cream.  It really is that simple.

Mango Gelato

1 c. frozen mango chunks

1 c. mango juice

1 c. half and half

1/3 - 2/3 c. sugar

1 TB fresh ginger, grated

1 pinch salt

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Taste for flavor and sweetness.  Finish gelato in an ice cream maker or use the procedure above.

 

Home made gelato/ice cream will freeze much more solid than store prepared so remove it from the freezer for 15 min. before serving to soften it up a bit.