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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Moosewood Peanut Sauce

I love cookbooks. But I hate cookbooks. See, the trouble I have with cookbooks is that I usually don't have all the ingredients needed for recipes I want to make. Typically, we eat simply -- so we don't stock our refrigerator shelves and cupboards with exotics. Or forget exotics, we just don't stock them fully enough to have a huge variety of ingredients at our disposal.

Frugal living at its more frustrating, but I digress.

What I've learned is that with some creative substitution, many of these cookbook recipes turn out edible. Tasty, even. So, when we found this African-take-on-peanut-sauce recipe in the Sundays at Moosewood Cookbook, I didn't fret when we didn't have the following:

Cayenne (ground)
Ginger (ground)
Peanut Oil
Tomato Juice
Apricot/Apple Juice

Instead, I looked at these ingredients individually for what each would contribute to the dish.

Cayenne (ground) -- for spice
Ginger (ground) -- for flavor
Peanut Oil -- for flavor
Tomato Juice -- liquid and tang
Apricot/Apple Juice -- liquid and sweetness

And then I looked around our kitchen and found substitutions. Keeping the measurements similar/the same, if possible. First, I'll give you all the recipe.


What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 tablespoon chili oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil leaves
• 1/2 ripe banana, mashed well
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 generous tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup peanut butter

Method . . .

1. Put the chili oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add in the onions. Cook until glassy and tender.
2. Add the mashed banana and basil leaves. Cook for two minutes, until browned.
3. Whisk the water with the ketchup, maple syrup, and lemon juice. Add it to the pan and cook for a couple minutes.
4. Then turn off the heat and stir in the peanut butter. Mix until well incorporated.
5. Store peanut sauce for up to one week in your refrigerator. Or serve hot/cold with fried tofu. Or banana naan. Or veggies. ANYTHING, really.

Now, for your reference, here's what I substituted and why. It may not be the same as the original, but it tasted amazing. Well worth the challenge.

• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 tablespoon chili oil -- flavor and spice (cayenne and peanut oil sub. -- PB adds enough peanut flavor already)
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil leaves -- flavor (added for fun)
• 1/2 ripe banana, mashed well
• 3/4 cup water -- liquid (equal amount to original juice measurements)
• 1 generous tablespoon ketchup -- tang (mix with water -- above -- for tomato juice sub.)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup -- sweetness (mix with water -- above -- for apricot/apple juice sub.)
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice -- flavor (ginger sub.)

How do you deal with cookbook recipes that require more than you have? Do you avoid them or get creative? We'd love to know! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.


And all you moms (and to-be moms) out there: What's your take on maternity wear AFTER your due date? Read my thoughts on (never home)maker, baby!

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Bowtie Pasta for Dinner

A pregnant woman can't live on garlic knots and s'mores bars alone. Though I'd certainly say I'm trying to -- I even joked that our baby will come out orange (from the pumpkin) and reeking of garlic (from the gazillion cloves we use). Guess we'll see about that. Anyway, I've been trying to bring more variety (and nutrition) to my dinners.

This meal was a collaborative effort. Stephen wanted pasta and greens. I wanted a yummy sauce.

BOWTIE PASTA WITH PEANUT SAUCE

What you'll need . . .

• 1 box whole wheat bowtie pasta, cooked to package directions
• 3 bunches of baby bok choy, rinsed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 inch fresh ginger root, grated
• 1/2 cup avocado oil
• 5 large basil leaves, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Couple tablespoons water

Method . . .

1. Cook the pasta, then set aside. You won't necessarily use all of it.
2. In a large pan, saute the bok choy in a little olive oil. Just till it wilts. Then toss in however much pasta you'd like to use. I think we added around 3 to 4 cups. Continue cooking on very low heat.
3. In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, oil, garlic, basil, lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and squeeze in the grated ginger (discard the pulp). Then depending on how thin or thick you want the sauce, add a few tablespoons of water. Whisk to incorporate.
4. Pour the sauce into your pasta mixture pan. Cook for a couple minutes. And then serve.

Stephen liked his pasta hot. I think I might like it even better cold -- for lunch instead of dinner. However you serve it, it's a great and easy summer dish with some flair. Toss in more veggies for variety.

Anything goes!


And for a tasty non-alcoholic drink to accompany dinner, try this lemon-ginger mocktail we posted yesterday on (never home)maker, baby!

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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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Portabellas with Peanut Sauce

My favorite Thai restaurant is in Ithaca, NY -- Thai Cuisine. It boasts the "best Thai food in New York State, including New York City," according to Getaways For Gourmets. Every Sunday, there's this amazing dim sum brunch. Basically, the staff members carry around a couple trays of freshly prepared items. Then, they allow you to choose what you'd like to munch on, leave you alone for a short while, and return again with yet another selection of small dishes.

The process goes on for as long as you'd like it to. The best part is the price -- each plate costs less than $5 (and typically less than that!).

Of all selections, I most enjoy the portabellas with peanut sauce. And now that we don't live in Ithaca, I often crave the mushrooms like crazy. So, last night I set out to create a similar dish in our own kitchen. Though I didn't have coconut milk, the results are remarkably similar to the real deal.


PORTABELLAS WITH PEANUT SAUCE (for 4)

What you'll need . . .

• 4 large portabella mushrooms, scrub and remove stems
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (I used Justin's with honey)
• 1 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sunflower or canola oil
• 1 tablespoon almond milk (or more, depending on your preferred taste)
• Sesame seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

Method . . .

1. Slice mushrooms into 1/4-ish inch slices.
2. In a large pan, spray with a bit of olive oil (or just lightly oil) and set over medium-high heat.
3. Lay out mushroom slices on the pan and reduce heat to medium. Cook and gently stir until both sides are lightly browned (mostly, the shrooms will get soft and juicy). Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, and oil. Then add the almond milk and whisk until smooth. Add the cayenne, ginger, and sesame seeds. Stir until well incorporated.
5. Lay out mushroom slices on a plate and drizzle/top with a generous helping of the peanut sauce. Garnish with basil for extra tastiness.

Truth time: We didn't eat ours displayed this beautifully. Nope. That's all for show. Instead, we dumped a ton of the sauce onto the mushrooms and dug in immediately.


We've been on a quest to recreate many of our beloved weekend meals at home (because we go out to eat far more than I'd like to admit). We're getting pretty good at it, too -- enough that we're starting to prefer our twist on the dishes to the real thing.

So, here's my question for you: Have you cooked up any of your restaurant favorites at home? Were you extremely satisfied or horribly unhappy with the results? Leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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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