Peanut Noodles with Shrimp and Veg
This morning upon waking (and the alarm was so cranked and so sudden it jolted the million dollar idea I had brewing right out of my head) my gut instantly ordered up two Easter Creme Eggs over easy, with a side of candied bacon, toasted hot crossed buns and a latte. For elevenses, perhaps some mini eggs and Hershey’s kisses. Easter withdrawl bites.
So I got up and ate a banana, and grabbed a cheater latte from Starbucks en route to CBC (tall Americano in a grande cup – fill with milk – almost a latte, but half the price). But instantly upon arriving, a co-worker walked up to me with a pan of brownies. With chocolate frosting. His wife really wanted me to try them. You know, to give my opinion. What could I do? Really, it would be impolite to turn him down. So that’s how I came to have chocolate before 8 am on the morning after Easter weekend.
It was a slippery slope from there. When I did my piece and got the chance to leave early at the very same time friends called to ask me to go for muffins and lattes at Cafe Rosso, I went. Everyone knows that socializing is good for your health, right? Even the rich and famous and obviously very knowledgeable Dr. Oz said so on Oprah last week. So really, it was akin to going to the gym. My membership ran out anyway. So that brings us to 10:30. Two lattes (one real), a muffin and a brownie.
Hypocrite that I am I spent the rest of the day telling W that candy was not good for him and he could have an apple for a snack, whilst reaching up to the stash of Lindt chocolate eggs on top of the fridge.
But I did have a fairly adequate dinner. Last night as I was doing dishes I put a pot on to boil some noodles – fettuccine, only because there was a bit lingering in a tall glass canister that has been taking up prime counter space for too long, and although I have nothing against fettuccine, I never actually make it – so that I would have no excuse today to not make quick peanut noodles with plenty of vegetables. I already had a jar of peanut sauce in the fridge, and some pea pods, although I would have preferred asparagus. I always like cutting carrots into ribbons with a vegetable peeler when they are to be consumed along with noodles, and I love slivered red peppers. I generally prefer peanut noodles with leftover roasted chicken (or one from the deli), but a few shrimp from the freezer work too. If they’re still raw, you can throw them in the pot with the noodles for the last minute or so of cooking time, and drain the whole thing together in the colander. It’s a great way to blanch any veg that are going in as well.
Tomorrow, I am determined to get through the day without one bite of chocolate. (Should be simple, considering I ate it all today. I had to shut it up somehow.)
Peanut Sauce
Peanut sauce is a wonderful thing. Double the recipe (leftovers keep well) if you want extra to pour over cold noodles or dip satay, lettuce wraps, rice paper rolls, grilled chicken or shrimp. Use more or less broth to make the sauce as thick or thin as you like. If you like coconut flavor in your peanut sauce but not the saturated fat it contains, add a teaspoon of coconut extract.
2-4 Tbsp. chicken or veggie broth or coconut milk
1/4 cup peanut butter (preferably the just-peanuts kind, but any will work)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar or honey
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar or lime juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. sesame oil (optional)
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. curry paste (optional)Combine all the ingredients in a blender or jar and whiz or shake until smooth. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve it. Makes about a cup.
Per tablespoon: 26 calories, 1 g total fat (0.2 g saturated fat, 0.5 g monounsaturated fat, 0.4 g polyunsaturated fat), 0.7 g protein, 3.9 g carbohydrate, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g fiber. 35% calories from fat
One Year Ago: Ground Lamb with Peas and Yogurt (Keema Matar)
April 14 2009 07:48 pm | one dish and pasta and vegetarian
A on 14 Apr 2009 at 8:43 pm #
Hey Babe, I went and made your Pink Popcorn for L’s class today and of course made WAY too much! Your chocolate addiction is my candied popcorn one. I feel a bit sick from eating so much of it. By the way, the popcorn is devine and soooo pink. I used raspberry jello. The kid’s(as if) stash of chocolate eggs on the fridge is quickly diminishing too. I have a heck of alot of energy today. Do you think it’s the sugar?
robin on 14 Apr 2009 at 9:01 pm #
ooooh yummie! would you say your peanut sauce is more like a thai sauce or a vietnamese?
Erica B. on 14 Apr 2009 at 9:59 pm #
Omg they just shouldn’t make mini eggs in a 1 kilo bag… but then I should have a little willpower heh. Thankfully ‘T’ took the remaining mini eggs to work or I would have been doing the exact same thing. “No honey, here have some grapes/apple/yogurt…” while sneaking in to the pantry…
My name is Erica and I am a chocoholic
Dinner was reasonably healthy… turkey, cramberry sauce and rice. But then ‘C’ asked me to make rice pudding and well… two bowls probably isn’t going to help me move the scale in the direction I’d like it to go…even if it was made with 1%
Manon from Ontario on 15 Apr 2009 at 3:48 am #
So I see that I’m not the only one struggling with healthy eating and more moving my butt!
With sugar shack season, I don’t really have a life at all, never mind having time to exercise. I usually make an effort just to eat and sleep, it gets way crazy busy, but today should be the LAST day for the sap.
We finally have my daughter’s diagnose, Laryngeal dystonia/spasmodic dysphonia, very rare and no 100% cure, it’s neurologic.
Anyways, I plan a better day myself, health wise for today.
MFO
Carolyn on 15 Apr 2009 at 3:55 am #
Thanks for the peanut sauce recipe. I hate buying sauces so this is really appreciated.
Natalie (Michigan) on 15 Apr 2009 at 3:58 am #
I have always loved your peanut sauce from grazing… make it all the time. It is great!
Kate on 15 Apr 2009 at 5:44 am #
Having this recipe will make today’s dinner a snap.
Thank you!
Barb on 15 Apr 2009 at 6:01 am #
I also hear the call of the chocolate (or whatever). Some days I can be just fine with “extras” in the house and other days I have to keep at it until it is gone. I hate it when I do that.
Fiona on 15 Apr 2009 at 7:30 am #
I’ve made your peanut sauce before – so awesome. I put it on a stir fry and now I’m never in a million years resorting to the Thousand Calorie Sauce from Superstore.
I’ve been trying the One Rule Diet lately – the “rule” being this: eat 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables, and whatever else you want, every day. So far after eating the F & V I have no room for any junk, plus I feel virtuous for having eaten my RDA of plant matter. Also, my crisper is emptying out. Everybody wins.
Cheryl on 15 Apr 2009 at 7:49 am #
Haha, I have the same goal for today!
robyn on 15 Apr 2009 at 8:50 am #
Even thought I don’t like carrots, I LOVE them peeled like that into salads or noodles. So pretty!!
Is your cheater latte kind of cold with all the milk?
Kathy on 15 Apr 2009 at 9:00 am #
cheater latte—aka “ghetto” latte– love it! If you get one and have access to a microwave to re-heat it w/ the milk, it doesn’t get cold.
my fitness goal is to lose the last 20 lbs. maybe someday (sigh).
Manon, sorry to hear about your daughter. While not curable, I hope it is very treatable.
Lana on 15 Apr 2009 at 11:01 am #
I, too, am wishing Manon well with her daughter’s diagnosis.
Cheers.
Manon From Ontario on 15 Apr 2009 at 11:20 am #
Kathy and Lana, and the rest of the gang, thank you for your support.
We’ve just met with the speech therapist, and she warned us that they have a waiting list of 8 months to a year?!?
I will look into a private clinic.
MFO
Karen on 15 Apr 2009 at 3:44 pm #
Thank you for this! I inhaled it. Glad I made enough for leftovers…
doula aj on 15 Apr 2009 at 5:15 pm #
I use a version of this peanut sauce, whirred with chickpeas, as a base for a vegan pizza. Spread over a multi-grain shell, with slivered (just how you like them Julie) red peppers, chopped bean sprouts, cilantro and peanuts. Sometimes I strew the top with pineapple too – hard to go wrong with pizza.
supersu on 15 Apr 2009 at 5:53 pm #
julie,
you make me laugh! my day was the pits till i read this! thank you..
mfo-best wishes
pauline on 16 Apr 2009 at 10:18 am #
Hi Julie, how goes it today with the sweet addiction. It seems the more I stress about it the more I crave it and the badder (is that a word)I am. I have had months to loose weight before my cruise did I loose weight NOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I hate myself. So now get this I am going to loose weight after the cruise. There really is no hope for me. Pray for me that at hte mis point of the cruise I will be abel to get into my clothes.
One more thing do I heat up the sauce. duh question hey I would assume you do. did the soup with the lentil stuff and made the biscuits yum. Rest of family where overjoyed it is now all gone. What is there problem I liked it. Have told them they are getting a lot more vegetarian meals, more eyes rolling.
LisaMer on 16 Apr 2009 at 5:54 pm #
Manon,
Scott Adams (creator of Dilbert) also has spasmodic dysphonia. He did a butt-load of research into it and there is a lot of info on his blog (www.dilbert.com/blog). A popular treatment is to use Botox and he had some success with it, but he ultimately went the surgery route and is essentially cured. He found a doctor in S. California that specializes in SD (he also lives there, so convenient for him). Try searching his blog archives or even try emailing him! He seems like the kind of guy that would write back.
Good luck!
Manon from Ontario on 17 Apr 2009 at 6:42 am #
Thank you everyone, and thanks for the heads up on Dilbert.com.
MFO