It's been quite a week. Just when you thought 2020 couldn't possibly throw another punch, a tropical storm comes out of nowhere to wreak havoc on us. Thanks Isaias! Not since Superstorm Sandy, has there been such widespread power outages and destruction in the New York-New Jersey area. Definitely not what anybody needed right now.
I made these Asian-inspired noodle bowls the day of the storm. This dish is great because not only does it require minimal cooking, but you can make it in advance and set it aside to deal with "other things", until you're ready to eat. The "other things" that night were cleaning up the massive debris that collected in our pool along with tree branches and patio furniture that went flying across our yard. I certainly can say we worked up an appetite.
I used regular old, whole wheat spaghetti here. Nothing fancy. But what really made these noodles tasty was the sweet soy-chili sauce. It's the perfect blend of salty sweetness that's made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. You can whip it up in under 5 minutes!
I sliced up some crunchy red peppers and some snap peas (that I quickly cook in the microwave for 5 min to soften while I'm making the sauce).
The fun part is you can add whatever protein you want to these bowls. Meat, fish, and plant-based proteins all work. That's a plus in my family because my husband and I prefer tofu (to keep it plant-based). I usually make double batch of the soy-chili sauce to marinate the tofu in. Then I lightly fry it in a non-stick pan so it gets really crisp and brown (that's a recipe for another day). But my teenagers enjoy chicken (I always have a rotisserie chicken in the fridge for just these instances). If you want to keep it light, you can eat it with just veggies!
An added plus is having leftovers for lunch the next day! You can eat them cold, right out of the fridge!
Let's hope there are no more surprises in store for 2020. But you can bet, if there are, I'll be ready with plenty more of these quick easy recipes to help us get through it. Be sure to stay tuned for some more easy summer recipes in the next few weeks or hit the subscribe button on the home page so you don't miss a single recipe!
Sesame Noodle Veggie Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
- 1 cup snap peas kept whole until after cooking
- 1 red pepper thinly sliced
- For the Soy Chili Sauce:
- ⅓ cup sesame seed oil
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon sweet chili sauce found in Asian food aisle of your local supermarket
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated ginger optional but recommended
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- *option to add fresh greens such as parsley thai basil, cilantro, or sliced green onions are delicious garnishes
Instructions
- In a medium sized microwaveable bowl, microwave the snap peas until slightly tender about 3- 4 min.
- Drain snap peas and set aside to cool.
- In a large pot, boil water and cook pasta as directed.
- In meantime, make the soy chili sauce by whisking together soy sauce, chili sauce, onion and garlic powders and ginger and set aside.
- Drain pasta and add to a large bowl.
- Chop the snap peas into ½-1 inch pieces and add them to pasta along with peppers.
- *Option to add protein of choice here.
- Add the soy sauce mixture to the pasta and veggies and toss to combine.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds over top.
- Season with additional soy sauce and fresh garnishes as suggested above if desired.
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