So, I’m beginning to think that getting settled back in is an illusion. I can’t seem to get completely organized and feel like I’ve been about two steps behind since returning to Brazil almost three weeks ago.
The research and providing you with any valuable health info has certainly been lacking, but the effort is still ongoing. I’m determined to have a post up about coconut oil this week and I have a few other topics that are begging me to look into them.
I may not have had much time to do research, but I am still cooking so a simple recipe will have to suffice until I get my act together.
I am infatuated with spicy peanut sauce. My husband can’t stand it. My husband was away on business last night. So what do you think I had for dinner? Yep, spicy peanut sauce.
I had never cooked with soba noodles until coming to Brazil. I’m not sure why that is. I guess I wasn’t really familiar with them. Soba noodles are a Japanese noodle made of buckwheat and wheat flours. I think they have more of a unique texture than flavor and I like to cook them until just barely tender.
I should mention that while I have made soba noodles I have yet to do anything culturally accurate with them. I plan to make spicy soba at some point, but haven’t taken on the challenge yet. Two Peas and Their Pod posted a wonderful recipe a few days ago for soba which is what got the noodles on my mind in the first place, but I didn’t have all the ingredients to complete that dish. I went another direction.
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ of a large onion, thinly sliced
½ cup carrot, shredded
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1 cup Napa cabbage, shredded or thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
250 g soba noodles, cooked
2 Tbsp chives or scallions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ of a large onion, thinly sliced
½ cup carrot, shredded
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1 cup Napa cabbage, shredded or thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
250 g soba noodles, cooked
2 Tbsp chives or scallions, sliced
Sauce:
2 Tbsp (generous) creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/8 cup water
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp crushed red pepper (less or more depending on taste)
Heat oil in a sauce pan and cook garlic, onion, carrots, zucchini and cabbage until tender. Salt and pepper to taste, but remember that the peanut butter will add much salty flavor.
Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl. Gradually pour in water while whisking. It will be thick, but moisture from your cooked veggies will thin it more. Whisk in garlic, ginger and red pepper.
Pour the peanut sauce over the warm veggies in the skillet and toss to coat. Next toss in the soba noodles. Heat if it has cooled. Garnish with chives or scallions and serve.
Makes about 3 servings, depending on how hungry you are. As in if you just got back from a big workout, maybe only 2.
**Season the final dish to taste. You may find it needs more salt, pepper or red pepper once together. Also, an added teaspoon of sugar or a brown sugar will sweeten the peanut sauce if you prefer.
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P.S. My Cafe & Cream Shortbread is in the running for a French press coffee maker over at the lovely blog, My Food and Life Encounters. If you liked it, I’d love to have your vote over there via a comment. You should check out the blog if you haven’t, voting or not. Lots of great recipes!
Update: I won, I won!!!! Thank you to all who voted – Tangled Noodle, Cinnamon & Spice, Jefferson’s Table, 5 Star Foodie, So what are you making for dinner?, Mei and The Yeast I Could Do!
Hope I didn’t miss anyone. I owe you all a cafezinho!
Hope I didn’t miss anyone. I owe you all a cafezinho!
I love soba noodles with veggies! I will have to try this peanut sauce when my hubs is not around, he is allergic but it looks so good to me!
I’m a huge fan of peanut sauce mmmm. It is def a unique flavor (I think a love it or hate it flavor). I haven’t tried the soba noodles yet, I might just pick some up this weekend.
Love peanut sauce and yours looks amazing!
Looks great! I’ve only recently found out about soba noodles, and I just sort of avoided recipes that have them because I figured they were white rice noodles or something. But they sound really healthy, so my mind is opened to Soba!
Good luck with the contest! This sounds tasty.
never tried soba noodles….the dish looks healthy n wholesome….i am waiting for your post on coconut oil.
yum…i love peanut sauce and soba. My husband doesn’t love peanut sauce either, but he tolerates it.
I look forward to the coconut oil info
The spicy peanut sauce sounds wonderful with soba noodles!
Maria – I loved what you did with them without the peanut sauce. I’m going to try them for sure.
Erica – I love the whole spicy, sweet salty thing.
Emily – Thanks!
NoMeatAthlete – They actually aren’t too bad much more of a whole grain pasta noodle.
Sagan- Thanks! I’ve got my fingers crossed.
sangeeta – It’s coming soon. I promise.
Alison – My husband doesn’t want any part of it, but I manage to fit it in for myself so I’m not deprived. 🙂
5 Star Foodie – It’s a tasty combo!
I love peanuts sauce too-adds such a wonderful flavour!!
It’ll be interesting to read your post on coconut oil-I grew up eating food cooked in coconut oil and then we switched to the “heart friendly” oils!
Looks DELICIOUS! I love spicy peanut sauce, too. I actually made something like this, but into a chicken salad!
this looks great i think we all eat what we like and hubby doesn’t when they go away he he, he found Brazilian food bland but hes Indian !
Sweta – I agree. Its coming. Just trying to get all my facts straight.
blurpandslurp – What a great idea! I bet it makes a wonderful chicken salad.
Chow and Chatter – I can totally understand how he would think that. We were expecting spicy food here, but it doesn’t exist. We’ve heard there is some in Bahia, but elsewhere it seems to be salt for flavoring and that is it. I find things rather bland as well. There isn’t so much excitement when it comes to flavors.
A great sounding dish
Your spicy peanut sauce sounds amazing. And you got to eat it all yourself!! Thanks for sharing!
yes! can’t wait to hear about coconut oil. i love it!
I know that feeling of being several steps behind – I’ve been feeling like that ever since I got back from my trip to the States, constantly trying to catch up. Meanwhile, I have a packet of soba noodles which I got ages back and keep intending to use and keep forgetting to do so. I do rather fancy the idea of having them with some spicy peanut sauce, so hopefully I’ll remember to do that soon!
Oh, interesting! I wonder if I would like this – I know that my husband would. We’ll definitely give this a try!
I also have a package of soba noodles that I bought with no clear idea of when and how I would use it, thinking it would just go into a broth. But this spicy sauce sounds so delicious – although I’ll have to sub another nut, I know it’s going to be fantastic.
Congratulations on your win! 😎
kat – Thanks. It was good!
Shari – Yeah, I had to make a limited amount so I didn’t devour four servings. Ha!
Michelle – It’s up!
Daily Spud – It must be an international travel thing. 🙂 My noodles had been sitting in the cabinet a while as well. I have to get inspired to use them it seems.
cathy – Give it a try and let me know what you think.:)
Tangled Noodle – Thanks! I want to experiement using them in a broth as well. I haven’t done that yet.