You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘pastas & noodle dishes’ category.
Okay, so this is perhaps more like an idea than a recipe, but what are recipes but just tried and tested ideas? This is so simple and easy to throw together, and if you choose the right pasta, it is incredibly healthful as well. It’s something I often turn to when my appetite has little patience for cooking.
This version has two main influences: (1) my mother, a bona fide pasta freak who is always creating delicious and healthy tomato-based Italian-esque dishes, and (2) Berry Bundle’s co-founder Petar, who introduced me to the wonders of flax seed oil last spring.
For the pictured dish, I used Trader Joe’s organic sprouted wheat pappardelle pasta (which is fantastic, by the way), but any whole wheat or whole grain or spelt pasta will work just fine — penne, noodles, bow-tie, whatever. Just try to avoid white pasta, which offers little by way of nutrition.
Flax seed oil is renowned for it’s health-promoting properties. In particular, it is probably the best and most healthful source of the much-talked about essential omega-3 fatty acids. Flax seed oil contains the most basic omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is the only essential omega-3 as the body can convert ALA into other omega-3′s the body needs (EPA and DHA). In fact, a single tablespoon of flax seed oil contains twice the amount of ALA that the Vegetarian Society of the UK recommends that vegetarians consume daily (1 tablespoon contains 8 grams of ALA; the VSU recommends 4 grams). Flax seed oil has a subtle yet uniquely satisfying taste. It can be found in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores. If you can’t find it or don’t have it, stress not — just use extra virgin olive oil, which tastes great and is also extremely healthy.
Nutritional yeast? I admit, it doesn’t sound very appealing to the naked ear. But it’s actually quite tasty, and can be used to add a nutty or cheesy flavor to dishes. Nutritional yeast is a nutritional supplement containing high amounts of protein, fiber, minerals, and vitamins — look for one that is fortified with Vitamin B12, important for those of us who do not eat any animal products. It comes in the form of “flakes” and can be bought in bulk at most health food stores.
This recipe is just for one, but making it for more should be self-explanatory…
Ingredients:
- healthy whole grain pasta, about 1.5 servings (a single serving is just depressingly small)
- 1 medium-sized tomato, the freshest and tastiest you can come up with (heirlooms are great, when in season), chopped coarsely
- about 1/4 cup of loosely packed parsley leaves (you can eyeball this, I’ve never actually measured it), chopped coarsely
- 1 T flax seed oil (can substitute olive oil)
- 2-3 T nutritional yeast (optional)
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
To make:
- Cook pasta according to directions.
- Put pasta on a plate and top with tomato and parsley.
- Drizzle oil over pasta.
- Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
This might not be exactly like “true” Pad Thai (which almost always contains fish sauce and eggs), but it’s the version I’ve adapted and it’s pretty damn good. Pad Thai used to be one of those universally tasty items at Thai restaurants that I was initially afraid to demystify. But once I tried, I found that I like my own take better.
This recipe serves 2.
Ingredients for the Pad Thai:
- oil for frying (peanut oil is best)
- 4-6 oz of rice noodles
- 4 oz. extra firm tofu, drained and pressed, and cute into cubes or triangles
- 1/2 red bell pepper, cut in thin strips
- 2/3 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
- 1/2 small red onion, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, jullienned
- 1 C bean sprouts
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more or less, to taste)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 inch chunk of ginger root, minced
- crushed peanuts for topping
- chopped fresh cilantro for topping
- lime wedges for garnish
Ingredients for the sauce:
- 2 T tamarind concentrate (some people would have you believe that you can substitute lime juice, but I’m here to tell you that they are WRONG).
- 4 T soy sauce
- 3 – 4 T brown sugar (depending on your taste)
- 3 T rice vinegar
- 1-2 T Thai chili sauce or some other kind of hot sauce
- 1 T tomato paste
To make:
- Cook the rice noodles by bringing a pot of hot water to a boil, turning off the heat, and adding the noodles, allowing them to soak until tender but not too sticky or soggy (usually fifteen minutes or more – check the directions on the package).
- Combine the sauce ingredients. You may wish to do this in a small saucepan over low heat, so that the sugar fully dissolves.
- Heat a little peanut oil (about a tablespoon or so) in a pan at a medium-high heat, and add the tofu, stirring occasionally. Saute until golden (see photo above). Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon.
- Add a little more oil (again, a tablespoon or so) to the pan and then throw in the red onion, sauteing for a minute or two and stirring constantly. Add in the garlic and ginger, and saute about another minute, stirring constantly. Then add in the carrots, red bell pepper, shitakes, red pepper flakes.
- Add the sauce, stirring constantly, until the sauce begins to simmer.
- Then add the noodles and bean sprouts and stir until coated
- Serve immediately, topping with the crushed peanuts and cilantro, and garnishing with the lime wedges.
Tip:
Once you are rolling with this dish, things move pretty quickly, so have the ingredients chopped and ready to go.
This salad is really amazing, especially during the summer. It’s a true herbal delight. You really can’t go wrong with mangoes and mint. The recipe was featured in the “One Food, Five Ways” section of the June 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times. It can be found here.
I like to use twice as much mango as called for in the recipe. I also sometimes add fresh red bell peppers and shredded red cabbage.
Recent Comments