Lighter Sesame Noodles

This is a healthy dinner we recently added to the weekly menus and great for left over lunch. It is fairly flexible recipe because you can play around with the veggies or adding a protein type, like tofu or chicken, and with the whole wheat noodles you get some additional fiber to boot.

Recipe is from the May 2008 FOOD magazine. You can get a printable version of the recipe here.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• Coarse salt
• 12 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
• 1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets, stalks peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti 3 minutes less than al dente. Add broccoli, bell peppers, and onion. Cook until pasta is al dente and vegetables are tender, 3 minutes more. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta and vegetables.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, oil, garlic, and red-pepper flakes. Add hot pasta and vegetables; toss to coat, thinning sauce with a little pasta water, if necessary. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Vegetarian Chili

Over the years, Chris and I have had this Vegetarian chili as a constant staple in our weekly menus. We play around with it all the time, but Chris wrote up our recipe to share. Feel free to play a bit yourselves, that is what makes cooking so fun.

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C & K's Vegetarian Chili

5 cups dried beans and/or lentils (I like a mix of kidney and pinto beans and sometimes lentils)
2 packages of firm Tofu, cut into half inch cubes
Adobo seasoning
2 tbs olive oil
3 carrots, sliced into 1/4 discs
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2-4 jalapenos, minced (depending on preference of spiciness)
15 oz corn, canned or frozen
4 15oz cans diced tomato (or 2 28oz)
2 heaping tbs chili powder
1 heaping tbs cumin
salt to taste about 1/2 tbs
pepper to taste about 1/2 tbs

1. Make beans according to package instructions and set aside for later. Remember dried beans take at least 3 hours to cook so plan ahead. Alternatively 3 14oz cans of beans can be used.

2. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in large frying pan. Add tofu and season with adobo. Toss occasionally and fry until lightly browned all over. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile heat remaining olive oil at medium high in large pot. Add carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic, cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add bell peppers and jalapeno and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in corn, tomato, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and 1 cup water (you can add more or less water if you prefer it thicker or soupier). Add the prepared beans and tofu. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes to an hour.

4. Serve with rice. Fresh tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, salsa and sour cream make good toppings.

5. Leftover chili can be safely frozen in an airtight container.

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Let us know what you think! :)