Tag Archives: sesame oil

January 24, 2012 · 7:11 pm

Oodles of Thai Peanut Noodles

I love Thai food… there are so many meat and vegetable possibilities for someone with food allergies, and the spices offer amazing flavor. When eating out, my favorite Thai dish is Pad Thai… with anything “honey sesame” close behind.  But at home, I love making Thai Peanut Noodles.  They are rich, filling, and exploding with those great Thai flavor combinations… peanut oil, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger… yum!

I took an existing Peanut Sauce recipe that I have under my Recipes section, tweaked it a little (cooking is always an experiment in progress!), and made it noodle ready.  The result?  A delicious dish that I could enjoy at my own table!  It is also very, very easy… just cook some pasta, stir the sauce ingredients together, and combine.

Thai Peanut Noodles

Pieces:

  1. one and a half cups smooth peanut butter (I like Skippy Natural)
  2. 4 tbsp. rice vinegar
  3. 2 tbsp. honey
  4. 2 tbsp. sesame oil
  5. 2 tbsp. wheat free soy sauce
  6. juice of one lime (put it in the microwave for 10 seconds to get it really juicy)
  7. 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
  8. 1 tsp. red chili flakes
  9. 2 tbsp. ginger
  10. rice noodles (or your favorite pasta)
  11. one half cup of the water the pasta cooked in
  12. chopped scallions, about 2 tbsp.
  13. one carrot, shredded into fine strips using a vegetable peeler.

Process:

  1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.  (When the pasta is done cooking, be sure to reserve one half cup of the water that the pasta cooked in.)
  2. In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, red chili flakes, and ginger.  Stir well.
  3. When the pasta is done cooking, pour the one half cup of pasta water into the peanut sauce.  Stir to combine.
  4. Add more warm water if you want to thin out the sauce even more, to your liking.  If you don’t have any pasta water left, regular warm water is fine.
  5. Stir well and pour over the pasta.
  6. Top with chopped scallions and shredded carrot.
  7. Serve hot… or cold the next day!

You could also top with chopped peanuts, or shredded chicken.

Happy Allergy Free Eating!

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October 25, 2011 · 6:57 pm

Honey Sesame Tofu

I ordered some Chinese take out with a friend this weekend, and my indulgence of choice was Honey Sesame Tofu.  I never had it before, and it was pretty good.  I liked the sweet flavor and thick tofu pieces.  Then I started thinking…. wait, I could make this…and make it healthier…

Honey Sesame Tofu

Pieces:

  1. 1 block of firm tofu
  2. 3 tbsp. oil for sauteing
  3. 2 tbsp. gluten free soy sauce
  4. 1 tbsp. sesame oil
  5. 6 tbsp. honey
  6. 2 tbsp. agave nectar
  7. 3 tbsp. plum sauce
  8. 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  9. 1 tsp. chili powder
  10. 1 tbsp. soy flour
  11. sesame seeds for sprinkling

Process:

  1. Make crispy tofu pieces, like I did in Sweet and Salty Stir Fry.  Follow steps 1-6 to dry, slice, and saute the tofu in hot oil in a shallow pan until they start to brown.
  2. While the tofu is cooking, make the honey sauce by combining soy sauce, sesame oil, honey,  agave nectar, plum sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chili powder.
  3. Heat the sauce on low until it starts to bubble, whisking thoroughly.
  4. Then add 1 tbsp. soy flour to thicken, and stir for just another minute.
  5. Pour the sauce over the tofu, sprinkle some sesame seeds, and serve over rice and/or vegetables.

Here is the take out version with rice:

Here is my version with snap peas:

Pretty close… and I am sure my version is healthier!

Happy Allergy Free Eating.

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