Spicy Sesame & Peanut Noodles

This is a scrumptious and speedy dish that only takes as long as the noodles to cook! A spicy and sweet creamy peanut butter and fragrant sesame blender sauce is tossed with chewy spaghetti noodles and fresh, parboiled broccoli rabe for a comforting meal. I hope this will be a new staple in your home, as it is in ours!

There's a bit of green in this dish. A wee accent counts right? Once again I have failed to jump aboard the holiday-food-party bandwagon. What the heck; you'd think a food blogger would be all over that stuff! Green errrything, but nope. Alas, my festive side fails to show up the party. Apparently it's as hermit-like as my real self! I guess that makes sense. Do you get in the celebratory spirit on St. Patrick's Day by making green food? When I was a kid my mom made green eggs. It made me uneasy. I don't like food to look as it shouldn't; even the green rice krispie treats put me off. 

I am currently drinking matcha as a write this, in a green cup nonetheless... and that should certainly count for something. I got green inside me. I think I'll tell people that when they try to pinch me for wearing all black. It should go over real well. 

Honestly... I just forgot it was St. Patty's Day... but this super green photo of broccoli rabe below should put you in the spirit! #mustgetmyshittogetherforremainingholidays

“My philosophy is: It’s none of my business what people say of me and think of me. I am what I am and I do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. And it makes life so much easier.”

— Anthony Hopkins

Spicy Sesame & Peanut Noodles

By Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

Published 03/17/2016

This is a scrumptious and speedy dish that only takes as long as the noodles to cook! A spicy and sweet creamy peanut butter and fragrant sesame blender sauce is tossed with chewy spaghetti noodles and fresh, parboiled broccoli rabe for a comforting meal. I hope this will be a new staple in your home, as it is in ours!

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried spaghetti noodles
• 1 bunch of fresh broccoli rabe, florets and stems chopped
• ¼ cup white sesame seeds + more for garnish
• ¼ cup sesame oil
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp soy sauce
• ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp vegan granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp sliced fresh ginger
• 2 heaping tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 4 large garlic cloves, rough chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp fresh garlic chili paste, to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 4 fresh green onions, sliced

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat for the pasta. Cook according to the package, about 9 minutes, until al dente. When there’s about 3 minutes left for the noodles to cook, add the chopped broccoli rabe to parboil. Strain the noodles and broccoli rabe; return to the pot and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a small frying pan toast the sesame seeds over medium-low heat for about 5-8 minutes until slightly golden brown and fragrant, stirring frequently (taking care not to burn). Place in blender once finished.
3. Add the remaining ingredients in the blender along with the sesame seeds, excluding the green onions. Blend on high until super smooth. Stir into the cooked pasta and broccoli rabe until well combined along with the green onions. Serve warm. These noodles are also great chilled!

Yield: 6

I got real worked up about the fact that the USA is the only first world country with no mandated paid maternity/paternity leave. I even wrote my employer's HR department to champion a paid maternity leave program. They were like yeah... no. Hey, if you don't take action you can't really blame anyone but yourself for not trying to change things for the better. Take action and let congress know that it's a pretty messed up situation. Check out the infographic below for more information. 

Warm Balsamic Barley Salad

Tender and chewy barley mingles with ripe tomato, vegan Italian sausage, bright swiss chard, and protein-rich chickpeas. Lightly bathed in a basil-balsamic dressing, this is a beautiful and hearty salad that’s great warm or cold. It tastes even better the following day, which makes it the perfect “make ahead” salad!

Hey there! How's the midweek going for you? Mine has been really good; kind of busy but in the best way possible. My brother-in-law is visiting us here in Alaska from his college in Vermont to work on a short documentary regarding climate change. Part of that involved the Iditarod. Did you know for two years in a row snow has been carted by train over 350 miles from Fairbanks to Anchorage for the ceremonial start? This year it was shortened from 11 miles to just 3 miles. Pretty scary stuff. We spent the weekend photographing the dogs and Ross used his drone to capture some pretty awesome images. You can see more of his work at his Instagram, under username jrhenry10. Below is a drone shot he took of a musher leaving Willow after the real start (restart) with Denali in the background. 

He has also decided to be completely vegan for a month in response to realizing the effects of animal agriculture on the environment. The single best thing we can do to stop climate change is to stop consuming animal products. Maybe we can get him to be vegan for good? ;) Muahhahaha. If you'd like to learn more about the environment and how drastically it's affected by animal agriculture, check out the infographic at the very bottom of this post; it's one of the best I've seen yet.

“As far as eating is concerned, humans are the most stupid animals on the planet. We kill billions of wild animals to protect the animals that we eat. We are destroying our environment to feed the animals we eat. We spend more time, money and resources fattening up the animals that we eat, than we do feeding humans who are dying of hunger. The greatest irony is that after all the expenses of raising these animals, we eat them; and they kill us slowly. And rather than recognize this madness, we torture and murder millions of other animals trying to find cures to diseases caused by eating animals in the first place.”

— Mike Anderson

With the excitement and yearning for Todd and I to hang out with Ross instead of cooking, I've been turning to quick and easy dishes. Basically, my veg from the CSA box and any grain that tickles my fancy that day (or whatever I have left in the pantry). Along with fresh herbs (thanks to my Aerogarden), vegan sausage from the freezer, and some canned chickpeas this salad was among my favorite meals of the week! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Warm Balsamic Barley Salad

By Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

Published 03/08/2016

Tender and chewy barley mingles with ripe tomato, vegan Italian sausage, bright swiss chard, and protein-rich chickpeas. Lightly bathed in a basil-balsamic dressing, this is a beautiful and hearty salad that’s great warm or cold. It tastes even better the following day, which makes it the perfect “make ahead” salad!

Ingredients

• 1 cup pearled barley, dry
• 3 cups water
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Italian Field Roast sausages, diced
• 2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
• 1 small bunch of swiss or red chard, de-stemmed and chopped
• 1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• ½ tbsp soy sauce
• Pinch of salt, to taste
• Dash of black pepper, to taste
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chiffonade (optional)
• Garnish of broccoli sprouts or microgreens (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, bring the barley, water, and a pinch of salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cover; cook for about 30-45 minutes until the barley is tender and chewy. Drain and set aside.
2. While the barley cooks, heat the olive oil over medium-low in a large rimmed frying pan. Add the sausage, tomato, and chard; saute for about 5 minutes until the chard has wilted. Stir in the remaining ingredients excluding the fresh basil and sprouts; cook for an additional 5 minutes to warm the chickpeas.
3. Once the barley is done cooking, stir it into the chickpea mixture to combine. Serve the salad warm or cold and topped with fresh basil and sprouts. This salad is even better the following day!

Yield: 4

Anouk (ann-uhk) says hello! Isn't he the cutest? It's really strange having a small dog as I've always grew up with large dogs and let's be honest... Bob is pretty much the size of small pony with giraffe legs. I love the pink little butterfly on his nose too! It's very saddening that just about every week I discover a new scar on him somewhere. He has a little Alfalfaesc hair tuft on the very top of his head that I am always trying to smooth down; yesterday I realized there's a big scar underneath and that's why the surrounding hair doesn't lay flat *sad face*. He's only eight months! How could anyone hurt a little puppy? However, it warms my heart to know he's in a safe and loving home now *happy face*!

If you've been vegan for a while you've probably found yourself wondering how on earth your veggie laden entree is the same price as it's meaty counterpart. This article from Serious Eats helps you understand why. Still doesn't answer why we can't catch a break on holding off on the cheese and meats on pizza though... 

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Garam Masala Lentil & Vegetable Squash Bowls

Spiced garam masala lentils combine with an assortment of savory vegetables, nestled in a roasted acorn squash half all topped with vegan sour cream and fresh basil.

Are you on Goodreads? Oh my lordy, I have discovered so many great books. My goal is to read 65 books this year and I'm already six ahead of schedule! If you're on Goodreads, add me as a friend! You can see what I'm currently reading on the right sidebar, with a link to my profile. A book of note I just finished was Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning and I really enjoyed it! I also read Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body by Jo Marchant, which was super interesting and I definitely recommend it as well. If you're looking for a wonderful, scientific book on eating for your health (which, surprise, happens to be plant-based), check out How to Not Die by Michael Greger, MD. Those have been my favorite books in the past couple of weeks. Do you have any good books to recommend?

“Food, Inc. is like a Disney movie compared to Earthlings... It’s inside footage of factory farms; 50 billion animals a year are killed. They’re in pain, treated badly, diseased, pumped full of antibiotics. I saw the reality and just couldn’t ignore it. And I’m happier and healthier. ”

— Ellen Degeneres

I really enjoy this dish, it's about my third time making/perfecting it. I adore lentils and am always trying to increasingly sneak them into pretty much everything. Broccoli and squash are two of my most beloved vegetables, so it's no wonder why I can't stop making it. I hope you enjoy it as much as Todd and I do! 

Garam Masala Lentil & Vegetable Squash Bowls

By Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

Spiced garam masala lentils combine with an assortment of savory vegetables, nestled in a roasted acorn squash half all topped with vegan sour cream and fresh basil.

Ingredients

• 3 whole acorn squash, halved and de-seeded
• 1 large head of broccoli (florets only), chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 1 large celery stalk, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 tsp mustard
• 1-2 tsp fresh chili paste, to taste
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• dash of ground black pepper
• dash of kosher salt, to taste
• 1 cup green lentils (or any other color, except red)
• 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
• juice from 1 medium orange
• 2 tbsp agave nectar
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• vegan sour cream, for garnish
• fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the squash halves face-down on two baking sheets and bake for about 30-50 minutes until fork tender (depending on how large they are). Remove from oven when done and set aside to cool. Once the squash is done cooking, place the chopped broccoli on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until slightly tender.
2. In a pressure cooker or large soup pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium low. Stir in the garam masala, turmeric, garlic, and onion. Saute about 5 minutes until fragrant and the onions have softened. Add the celery, carrots, mustard, chili paste, thyme, pepper, and salt; saute about 5 additional minutes. Stir in the lentils and vegetable broth; bring to high pressure and cook for about 10 minutes. Then, remove from heat and allow to depressurize naturally. Alternatively, bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to a simmer and cover; cook for about 40 minutes until the lentils are tender, stir occasionally.
3. Once the lentils are tender and the broccoli is done roasting, stir the broccoli, orange juice, agave nectar, and apple cider vinegar into the lentil mixture.
4. Place each roasted squash half on a plate and divide the lentil mixture evenly into each squash bowl. Top with vegan sour cream and fresh, chopped basil. Serve hot.

Yield: 6

As usual I've got my little sous chef to help me out. It was a wet and snowy day. It was fabulous while it lasted... it didn't stick.

If you need an environmental reason to eat less meat (or just go totally vegan?)... look to none other than our ice caps. Oh wait... they're all disappearing :( Read this terrifying 'Holy Shit' article to learn all about it. Sea levels rising!!!