Noodle Salad and Peanut Sauce

Not the prettiest picture to start off this amazing recipe with, but I thought it'd be nice to show you first how I actually ate this dish. The pretty shots can come later. This is one of those recipes that we just love cooking on weekends instead of going out to eat (if you'd like more, just check out our grocery bills post). I don't even know if we could get something this flavorful in our hometown, quite honestly.

Back to why it's so slapped together: When you taste the sauce, you won't care how it looks at all. And it'll be gone before you know it.

I was planning to post this recipe last night, but during our volleyball game -- I jammed my right ring finger. I can barely type. Thought waiting until early this morning would be better. I was wrong. So, without further hesitation, here's the recipe for this awesome noodle salad and peanut sauce!


What you'll need . . .

For the sauce:

• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 5 tablespoons POM pomegranate juice (or rice vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoons grated ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

For the salad:

• 1/2 package udon noodles, cooked as per package directions
• 16 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 6 cups kale
• 2 carrots, cut in the batonnet style(sliced)
• 1 zucchini, cut into half moons
• 1 tablespoon dried cilantro (or 1/4 cup fresh)

Method . . .

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
2. Cook your udon noodles, drain, and spray with some cool water. Set aside.
3. Heat a tablespoon or so of oil over medium-high heat and fry the tofu until golden. Set aside.
4. In that same pan, add a bit more oil. Throw in the vegetables (kale, carrot, and zucchini). Cook for five to seven minutes -- until they are soft, but still a bit crisp.
5. Pour half of the sauce mixture onto the veggies. Cook a couple more minutes, until saturated with flavor.
6. Add the cilantro once the heat is off. Stir.
7. Then toss everything together. Or, if you'd like it to look nice, lay a bed of veggies and top with half the noodles and tofu cubes. Drizzle more of the sauce on top for extra flavor.

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Just Because . . .

I'm not going to lie: I've been known to knock back a glass (or three) of champagne on occasion. Mimosas rock my world on non-marathon training Sunday mornings. And I've also spent many afternoons off -- glass in hand -- with the bubbly stuff fueling some pretty awesome kitchen creations.

You get it. I love champagne. I drink it with or without celebration -- you know, just because. And I'm not too snobby to say I love the $5 bottle of Extra-Dry Andre that's likely the Bud Light of the champagne world. Of course I enjoy fancier varieties, but the contents of that cheap green bottle taste just fine to me.

I usually have at least one bottle around the house. And thanks to POM Wonderful, I've had a good stock of 100% pomegranate juice in my fridge, too. Naturally, I decided to combine the two into the perfect summer cocktail. It's sweet. It's light. It's easy and cheap (two of my favorites!).

Even better -- it's full of antioxidants. So, dare I say, it's good for you?


What you'll need . . .

• Bottle of extra dry champagne
• POM Wonderful pomegranate juice

Method . . .

1. Fill your champagne flutes about 1/3 full with the pomegranate juice.
2. Fill the rest of the way with the champagne.
3. Include a piece of fruit for extra flare. Or just enjoy (all day if you have to!).

What's your favorite summer cocktail? The easier the better -- at least that's what we think! Just leave us a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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The Cake Walk: Pomegranate-Dream Cake

Good morning, everyone! Hope you all had a lovely weekend. We definitely did -- though, it seems to have blown by way too fast. Highlights include: Stephen got me flowers Friday night (!!!), we baked this amazing pomegranate cake (and various other treats I'll share soon), we went to dinner with new friends . . . then brunch with even more new friends, and -- the biggie -- we began half marathon training.

We also had an exciting weekend on the blog front. Last week, our Richard Simmons post about the Purple Sticky Rice Tart was picked up on Slashfood. And, in turn, it was picked up on the site's owner, AOL.COM! That's right, folks. We were linked and got like a ga-zillion visits this weekend. So, if you're joining us as a result -- thanks!



Though you can't really see it, I got proof! We were linked near the top of the page. And if you go to the Slashfood site, you can see all the really mean comments, too -- someone said the tart looks like "chuncks of beef tongue on top of dead bugs on top of regurgitated popcorn" -- fun, fun! But that person also apparently can't spell the word "chunk" -- so I'm not letting it bother me too much.



But enough about us. Back to the pomegranate cake! Which also happens to be this week's Richard Simmons Dazzling Dessert post (inspired by his Tangerine-Dream Cake). When I arrived home Friday night, I had received a gift from the kind folks at POM Wonderful. Some of their 100% pomegranate juice to bake with. How exciting! I got right to work picking out a recipe worthy of this delicious stuff (which is also packed with tons of antioxidants, so -- even when put in cake is kind of, well, healthy? Maybe?).

What's better is -- several months ago, I read a post about making pomegranate molasses. (Found it on this site), it's simple: Just mix together 1 cup pomegranate juice, 1 tablespoon raw sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon lemon juice. Simmer until reduced and thick (coating the back of a spoon is a good measure of thickness). Just look at the gorgeous stuff (which can be used, I learned, in place of agave nectar, honey, maple syrup, or regular molasses).



Of his Tangerine-Dream Cake, Richard writes: "Take a nibble of this cake, close your eyes, and you'll dream you're in old Tangier, surrounded by baskets of fragrant tangeries." I hope our version is as transformative for you.

And even if it isn't, you'll still benefit from the superpower antioxidants that make pomegranate juice king even red wine in kicking butt against free radicals and oxidative stress. In human terms, this means it'll help you body get rid of bad stuff . . . which is oh-so good! 





POMEGRANATE-DREAM CAKE


What you'll need . . .

• Mini bundt pan (or you can make them as cupcakes)
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance (or your favorite butter substitute)
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1-1/4 cup wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
• 2 handfuls carob chips

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease your bundt pan (or line your cupcake pan).
2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream together the Earth Balance and sugar on medium speed. Until fluffy -- approx. 4 minutes. Add the applesauce, beat well.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, flax meal, baking power, baking soda, and salt. I like to give mine a nice vigorous whisk to get it all incorporated.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating with 1/4 cup of the pomegranate juice. 
5. Fold in the carob chips.
6. Fill bundt pan about 2/3rds full. Same with cupcake, if you're doing it that way. And bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool cake in pan.

POMEGRANATE ICING


What you'll need . . . (obtained, but modified from the one here)

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses (see recipe earlier in this post -- and you can use what you have left over for a recipe I'll post later in the week)
• 7 tablespoons pomegranate juice

Method . . .

1. Stir everything together until smooth. You may need to add a bit more powdered sugar, consistency should be thick, but not too thick so you can't drizzle it. 
2. Wait until cakes have fully cooled (you might be able to tell I didn't wait long enough because the icing sank into the cake), then top off each one generously and refrigerate.

If you'd like to read our other recipes inspired by the Richard Simmons Private Collection of Dazzling Desserts, just click below:

• Puddin' on the Ritz: Purple Sticky Rice Tart 
• Pie in the Sky: Vegan Coconut-Carob Pie

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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