Effortless Thai Pasta

I don't always feel like cooking. Sometimes all I want to do is throw everything in a pot, cover it and in 20 minutes have dinner ready. Pouf! Like magic! Oh wait, that is what I did last night. Well pretty much, there's some occasionally stirring that needs to happen but I hardly call that work. And just look, how delightful. Sometimes effortless is the way to be.

This thai pasta couldn't be easier. Indubitably. No fuss. It's sort of like a straight-up delicious, albeit bastardized version of pad thai. If you've got a family member or friend that is a little unadventurous or maybe even a bit naive with regards to the vast offerings of the largely diverse culinary world...or is just scared to try new things, this is a good dish to start with.

It's like pad thai, Americanized. I truly hate myself for even thinking let alone saying that, but it's what comes to mind. I apologize to every pad thai dish I've ever made.

Effortless Thai Pasta

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

This effortless one-pot thai pasta couldn't be easier. Throw everything in a large pot and let it do it’s magic! Simple and done in 30 minutes flat. It’s loaded with veggies and has a beautiful thai sauce that is sure to be a hit.

Ingredients

• 12 oz. dry fettuccine (I used a spinach version)
• 4 ½ cups of vegetable broth
• 1 large carrot, julienned
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 4 green onions, sliced thinly
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp. peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. vegan worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. rice vinegar
• 2 tsp. fresh lemongrass paste or minced
• ½ tsp. fresh chili paste
• ½ tsp. turmeric
• ½ lime, juiced
• crushed peanuts, for garnish
• chopped cilantro , for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot, add all the ingredients except for the lime juice, peanuts and cilantro. The noodles won't be all the way submerged, and that's okay. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Then, stir to combine and push the noodles down a bit. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook over medium-low for about 10-15 minutes. Be sure to stir it every few minutes.
3. After this time, the noodles should be al dente. Uncover and allow to cook for another few minutes, stirring occasionally, until there's only about 1/2 inch of sauce on the bottom (or however much sauce you prefer). Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice.
4. Serve hot and garnished with a liberal amount of crushed peanuts and chopped cilantro.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 00:20
Total time: 00:25
Yield: 4 servings

Save Money!

I was buying Adam’s no-stir creamy peanut butter, but it’s just too expensive at the rate we go through it. 

I switched to Jiff natural and buy it here at half price!! It’s only $4 per 40 oz jar versus almost $8 per 40 oz jar at our local grocery store.

More Thai Noodle Recipes

Vegan Pad See Ew

Thai Purple Pasta

Veggie Thai Noodle Salad

No Chicken Vegan Pad Thai

Also, I found these sweet vegan doggy treats. Bob gets a lot of broccoli spears, carrot tops, sweet potato ends, etc. It's kind of like having a giant bunny around. However, I do like to have a dry dog treat to bring with me on his walks. He gets two a day, walks that is. I purchased these from Amazon. I'm not in anyway affiliated with Amazon or Old Mother Hubbard, I just happen to like both. Bob loves these splendid vegan treats! 

Head boppin' to Willy Moon – Yeah Yeah

Blueberry Pie Quinoa Porridge

Real quick, I have a little eco tip! I hate getting phone books. Who uses phone books anymore, seriously!? No really, I want to know. It's absurdity. Anyways, you can opt out of receiving them and it just takes a minute, truly. So if you have phone book recycling guilt, just opt out here. And now, a confession. Red quinoa isn't my friend anymore. It was a short relationship. Every time I try to make it, it boils over, a problem I never had with good ol' regular white quinoa. Also, I do not like it's texture. It's like munching on soggy packing peanuts. This is, of course, just my opinion. 

Last night, after the umami bomb, I felt like something sweet for dinner. Sweet, but still healthy, so I made some quinoa porridge. It's like steel cut oats, but quinoa instead. It's healthier, heartier and a complete protein! Also, it's just so rustic and lovely. 

This quinoa porridge is a healthier take on blueberry pie and oatmeal! It's a little bit chewy, lovingly spiced, and speckled with plump, tart blueberries. The sweetness is cut through with a little lemon zest and topped with crunchy walnuts, pecans and chia seeds for some extra protein.  

Blueberry Pie Quinoa Porridge 

Serves 1-2

• Porridge:
• 1/2 cup dry red quinoa
• 1 1/2 cup non-dairy + additional (soy milk)
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• grating of fresh nutmeg
• 1 tsp. chai latte powder (optional)
• heaping 1/4 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
• Toppings:
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans and walnuts)
• sprinkling of chia seeds
• lemon zest, to taste
• fresh lemon squeeze, to taste

In a medium saucepan, combine all the porridge ingredients except for the blueberries. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow to cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally and ensuring that it doesn't foam over. The quinoa should be the consistency of  wet oatmeal when done.

Remove from heat and stir in the blueberries, allowing them to warm up for a few minutes, especially if they're frozen. 

Adorn with toppings, to your taste preference. I'm not a big lemon zest person, so I only use a little bit. 

Add a little additional milk if you like, and serve warm!

A delightful breakfast, or if you're like me...dinner!

Singing along to Young the Giant – Cough Syrup

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Umami Udon Noodles

As vegans we don't get a whole lot of umami in our lives. What's umami? It's one of the five basic tastes. Surely you're familiar with the sweet, salty, sour, and bitter tastes. Well, Umami is a kind of savory flavor that was first scientifically identified in 1908.  Meat and cheese are good sources of umami, as well as shiitake mushrooms, and I often find myself craving this savory type of flavor. Nutritional yeast is a source of umami, which is probably why I consume questionably monstrous large quantities of the stuff. If you want to read more about umami, you can do that here and here. Also, check out this interesting little article on umami by NPR, here, while you're at it! 

Tempeh, shiitake mushrooms, and miso combine their delicious powers for one hearty and savory udon noodle dish that's sure to cure that umami craving when it hits! 

Umami Udon Noodles  

Serves 4

• 8 oz. packaged udon noodles
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 8 oz. tempeh, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 oz. dried (or 8 oz. fresh) shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced & soaking water reserved
• 1 Tbsp. ginger paste (or minced ginger)
• 1 tsp. lemon grass paste (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 cups shiitake mushroom soaking water or vegetable broth
• 3-4 Tbsp. miso (I like red)
• 2 handfuls of fresh spinach
• fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish
• sesame seeds, for garnish

Notes: If you have an aversion to tempeh, feel free to use firm tofu, or neither!

Start by soaking the dried shiitake mushrooms in 2 cups of very hot water. I like to put a big spoon over the mushrooms to help keep the, submerged. Allow to soak for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain when ready to use but keep the soaking water for later on in the recipe. If you're using fresh mushrooms you won't need to soak them and you can just use vegetable broth or water to replace the soaking water.

In a small saucepan, cook udon noodles according to package instructions. This usually includes boiling the noodles for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. We will not use the sauce packet, it's not vegan.

In a large frying pan, heat the sesame oil. Add the onion, tempeh, and garlic. Saute for about 10-15 minutes, or until the onions have started to brown and caramelize. 

Now, add the sliced shiitake mushrooms, ginger, and lemongrass. Saute for an additional 3-5 minutes. 

Add in the soy sauce, vinegars, water/broth, and the miso. Stir well to combine, dissolving the miso and deglazing the pan.

Add the udon noodles to the pan along with the spinach and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the noodles are heated and the spinach is wilted. You can even cover it with a lid to help the spinach wilt. 

Serve hot and garnished with some fresh cilantro and sesame seeds. 

Hello umami bomb.

Toe tappin' to MGMT – Electric Feel

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