Miso + Peanut Noodles

When I lived in Ithaca, there was this awesome shop at the farmers market that sold these delicious peanut lime noodles. And I was absolutely hooked. Saturday morning would come, we’d hop on our bikes to go shopping by the shore of Cayuga lake, and I’d always get those noodles.

It’s funny how when you go through something difficult in life, you resort back to your comforts from old times. Food is a big one for me. I finally got my appetite back (I feel like a new person), I wanted to create something similar in my kitchen. I used to eat these noodles a decade ago, but the flavors are still on the tip of my tongue.

MISO + PEANUT SAUCE

What you’ll need . . .

• 1 large clove garlic
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 heaping tablespoon white miso paste
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• dash ginger powder
• dash red pepper flakes

Method . . .

1. Pulse the garlic to mince in your food processor. Then add the peanut butter, miso paste, and hot water and blend until smooth.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until well incorporated.
3. Alternatively, you can mince the garlic and then whisk together the peanut butter, hot water, and miso paste. Then whisk the rest of the ingredients in until smooth.
4. Store in an air-tight container for up to one week.

// To make the noodle dish:

I simply boiled half a package of Ezekiel 4:9 spaghetti (you can use similar noodles -- even soba would be great -- at around 8 ounces) and shredded a couple carrots and half a small onion. I mixed those tougher and then dumped 5 big spoonfuls of the sauce on top. Eat hot or cold. I even like my noodles super al dente.

Peas, cubed tofu, even raisins would be good add-ins as well.

Serves 2-4, depending on appetite.

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Coconut Jasmati® Rice: Review + Giveaway

Rice. I love rice. It's something I always want on the side but rarely make ahead of time. Of course I know there are (simple) ways around this, like cooking in bulk for the week, however -- to me, rice doesn't taste as good unless I make it on the spot.

So, when I was given the opportunity to try out RiceSelect^™'s Jasmati rice, I had no excuses.

Jasmati is a "long grain American grown jasmine rice”. It has almost exactly the same sweet, enticing aroma and subtle nutty flavor of exotic Thai jasmine rice. The grains are "snowy white, soft and tender" -- perfect to accompany any stir-fry or even as a centerpiece to a meal of its own.

You can read more about this tasty grain on the RiceSelect website.

Here's what I made with it:


COCONUT-LIME JASMATI RICE
* would work with whatever is your favorite rice, too

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup RiceSelect Jasmati rice
• 1 can (15 ounce) full fat coconut milk 
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup reduced fat coconut flakes (regular works, too -- this is all I had in the pantry)
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, to taste
• salt, to taste

Method . . . 

1. Place the rice, coconut milk and water in a pot and bring to a boil (or, as Stephen always says, a "Susan Boyle").
2. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20. Let sit off the heat -- still covered -- for another 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Fluff + then add in the other ingredients and mix until well incorporated.

I also added peas for some extra flair. About a cup -- and Ada absolutely loved this as part of her lunch the next day. Gobbled it right up!

Now, I'm not a rice expert, but I feel like a lot of the kinds we have around the house take at least 40 minutes to cook (brown rice, maybe? am I just doing it wrong?). I like that this cooks in about half the time and has so much flavor. It will really liven up our meals.

Have you tried Jasmati? How would you incorporate it into your dinnertime routine? Share your answer in the comments below and you could win a $100 Visa gift card.


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You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b: Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
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d: For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 4/15/2013-5/15/2013

Be sure to visit the sponsor's brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers reviews and find more chances to win!

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Tuesday

I've been sick-ish for the past couple days (ever since our hike in the freezing rain!), so laying low has been my top priority. But I had to jump on here today to share this black bean-avocado salsa salad recipe. It's sooo simple: Black beans, fruits/veggies, and avocado. A splash of lime juice. Salt and pepper. Just chop and mix.

It's vibrant -- both aesthetically and nutritionally. Delicious. And it was the perfect addition to Sunday's Super Bowl feast . . . BUT I enjoyed it even more last night atop a fried egg with some whole grain toast.

BLACK BEAN-AVOCADO SALSA SALAD

What you'll need . . .

• 1 large red pepper
• 2 small jalapeno peppers
• 1 medium Spanish onion
• 3 vine-ripened tomatoes
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 avocados, sliced into chunks
• Bunch of fresh cilantro(optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 lime, squeezed

Method . . .

1. Chop the red pepper, jalapeno peppers, onion, and tomatoes. As chunky as you like -- that's why we consider this dish a salad versus a salsa. 
2. Also chop the cilantro. Mix everything together with a spoon.
3. Add in the black beans. Season with the salt and pepper. Squeeze the lime juice over everything. Mix.
4. We chose to divide our salad in half and only eat half (serves two) during the game. So, we used one avocado and saved the other for the next day so it wouldn't brown.
5. Enjoy alone or with chips/bread. Or on eggs. Yum!

NOTE: Measurements aren't terribly important -- just use what you have and try to get a good proportion of everything. Other weekend eats included french onion soup and "healthy" fondue (cheddar, mozzarella, and cauliflower puree!). Recipes will be posted very soon!

SNEAK PEEK

This is our new bed and quilt combo. I don't want to post photos of the entire room just yet because we're still working on it. We still need to patch and paint the walls. I have no idea what color would go best with the spread (suggestions are welcomed!).


We also need to pick out some art. I want to stick with calming prints -- the bedroom has become my de-stressing place. Which, I guess isn't uncommon, but it hasn't been this way the entire time we've lived in our home.

OTHER STUFF

• Chorus is going extremely well. I'm not a fan of Monday night practices, but once I'm there, I have a blast.
• I'm doing the 30 for 30 Challenge (on Kendi Everyday). I just haven't been so great at documenting. Hopefully I'll get the motivation later this week!
• It's February 8th . . . and I haven't bought any new clothes (or old clothes -- clothes PERIOD) this year so far. Yay for me!
• I'm planning to record my Blogtastic "Open Mic" song tonight. It's between three different ones -- I'm already nervous!

How are you doing with your NYE goals? It's been a month -- and I've kept some and left some others. I'm paying attention to my mental well-being above all else. Working hard to organize my life/belongings/clutter and maximize on my interests/talents, and it's paying off!

Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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How NOT to Make Paneer

Not my most successful afternoon in the kitchen. That's for sure. I had been wanting to make paneer since Emily posted her oh-so creative Naan Pizza with Paneer Cheese a couple months ago. And since our primary mission this weekend was to decorate, relax, and enjoy time off . . . I figured it'd be the perfect time to try it out.

You need whole milk for this recipe. And you need lemon or vinegar to make those strong curds that eventually make up your cheese. (Of course, my try was already doomed at this point by my substitution of lime juice for lemon. More on that later.)


Would you believe me if I told you that the very first time I bought cow's milk for myself was this weekend? It's so very true! Despite our diet -- which is seemingly heavy in the cheese area -- we don't drink milk. Instead, we stock our fridge with almond milk.

Alright. You also need cheesecloth, a colander, and a medium bowl. And if you're interested, the entire process is outlined in full here.


Basically, you just pour 4 cups of milk into a saucepan. Bring it to a rolling boil. Then add a cup of lemon juice (as Emily writes, and I wholeheartedly agree, freshly squeezed is best).

Stir, stir, and stir some more. For 2 to 3 minutes. Until you see curds forming. This is where I knew things weren't exactly going to work out. Mine didn't really have curds. It thickened. But not as much as I would have expected.


You take everything off the stove after you've gotten your curd on. Then, you pour the mix into a colander lined with a doubled-over piece of cheesecloth (you should be able to find it in the supplies section of your grocery store). Make sure the bowl you're pouring into is tall enough so that your to-be cheese isn't sitting in a warm puddle. It needs to DRAIN.

Then, you wait. For 30 minutes or so. While everything separates. When you return for the next step, it should look something like this:


But, if you want a firmer cheese (and I wanted cubes, I tell you, beautiful and firm CUBES!) . . . you need to get creative. First, you'll squeeze a bit more moisture out of your cheese ball. Fold over the cheese cloth. And set it back on the colander (I also emptied the water that had already drained).

Stick a small plate atop your cheese. Then weigh it down with something heavy. Or two things heavy. It's a balancing act, so just be careful. I actually scared myself because right after I left my leaning tower of cheese, it came crashing down in a loud BANG.


Leave everything like this for an hour or two. Again, mine didn't really turn out as expected. I got a thick, spreadable ricotta texture. It tasted like lime cheese. (I think lemons wouldn't be quite as pervasive.)

So, instead of making mutter paneer like I had hoped (cubed paneer with peas in a thick sauce), I mixed it with some egg replacer, paprika, salt, and curry and baked it. We then spread it on some naan with our dinner.


Tasty -- yes. But not at all what I had set out to make. That's OK, though. We still have half of the milk left . . . and some lemon juice. I think I'll be trying this recipe again very, very soon. And if every kitchen creation was a resounding success, it wouldn't be as much fun. See, I learned something! I can't be so cocky with my substitutions. I mean, I have never attempted to make cheese before.

The first time is the best time to follow instructions.

What's your most recent kitchen flop . . . and what did you learn from it? I know you have one! Don't be shy. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Shamrock Green Smoothie

Yesterday's Shamrock Shake recipe is good -- creamy and rich. Yet also vegan. But I challenge you to try an even healthier version of the treat. No, this shake tastes nothing like the McDonald's favorite. But it's a great, minty way to get your greens in the morning.

So, why not give it a try? I'm on the green smoothie kick again. I feel it's a fantastic way to greet spring. And it seems like springtime weather might be here to say. The temps reached 50 degrees here yesterday -- and the sun is out earlier in the morning and later at night. What's the tagline? I'm lovin' it? Well, we most definitely are.


In other news, (never home)maker has reached 766 subscribers! So, keep an eye out for details about our next big giveaway sometime later this week. And thanks for all the love. We hope you're still enjoying this little site. Unfortunately, we did encounter some drop off after we announced that our new focus was around "good eats and healthy living" . . . but that's OK. We love those of you who still love us.


What you'll need . . .

• 2 large bunches/heaping handfuls of spinach (take stems off)
• 6 stems of mint
• 1 banana
• 1 large pear, skinned and cubed
• 1 cup fresh coconut milk
• 1 lime -- just the juice
• 1 tablespoon flax meal (optional -- for extra nutrition)

Method . . .

1. Throw everything in your blender.
2. Blend.
3. Enjoy. Makes about two servings.

PS: Don't forget to add yourself to this month's BLOG LOVE FEST!

And if you're new to us, why not check out our Foodie Book Club! We're reading through Anthony Bourdain's The Nasty Bits this month. You can sign up here (as well as get all the juicy details) . . . and read about our first three book selections.

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