Daily Archives: August 10, 2015
Garlic Soba and Zucchini Noodles
Recipe originally posted on August 28th, 2013. Last updated August 9th, 2015.
A couple weeks ago, I made M a “meat and potatoes” dinner. The chicken was stuffed with chives and cream cheese and the red potatoes were wonderfully roasted with a myriad of herbs. I thought he would be excited because I rarely (in fact, this may have been the first) make him a so-called “meat and potatoes” meal.
Turns out, I forgot one key thing: he’s not a meat and potatoes kind of guy (potatoes are, in fact, one of the foods he doesn’t really like). He’d happily eat (my favorite) one-dish meals with the occasional burger thrown in every now and again. So, I’ve been working up an arsenal of quick, one-bowl dinners that we both can enjoy (like my favorite peanut noodle bowl).
Every time I see a recipe with zucchini noodles, my only thought is that I’m not doing that enough (because really, it’s pretty amazing). I purchased a julienne peeler for Sur La Table a couple months back and as of recent been going crazy noodling vegetables (noodling is probably not a verb in the sense of making noodles, but hey, I like it).
Pairings for Soba Zucchini Noodles
This dish is a great lunch or light dinner that comes together in roughly 20 minutes. While I used zucchini noodles and pepper; snow peas, broccoli, spinach, and/or carrots would make a great addition. I find this is one of those recipes that’s good to whip up on a Sunday and eat for lunch in the days following.
Appetizer: If you feel like going all out for a special dinner, make potstickers for the opening dish. The link is for sweet potatoes but you could easily do sweet corn (or some other summer vegetable).
Salad: When I eat a soba noodle bowl, it’s usually a one-dish kind of meal. However, I’ll occasionally throw together a simple salad of greens, tomatoes, and a drizzle of dressing.
Drink: Crisp and dry white wine- I go with my stand by of Pinot Grigio.
Garlic Soba and Zucchini Noodles
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
This is one of my quick, go-to lunches that I can make on one day and eat for two. I’ll warn you that I love garlic (reason I include 4 large cloves-gives it a kick of heat), but you can always reduce the amount to 2 cloves.
Author: Erin Alderson
Recipe type: Lunch
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 4 ounces soba noodles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon honey or vegan substitute
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 small zucchini, julienned into noodles, roughly 2 cups worth
- 2-3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add soba noodles and cook until tender, 4-5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water, set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add grated garlic and ginger, cooking for 1 minute. Pour in soy sauce, water, and honey. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in the thinly sliced red onion and pepper to the soy sauce mixture, cooking until tender, another 3-4 minutes. Next, add zucchini noodles, stirring to coat the noodles. Cook for 1-2 minutes (I like my zucchini noodles to still have a slight crunch). Taste and add more soy sauce or honey if desired.
- Toss with soba noodles and serve with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. While you can serve this dish warm, I find I like it cold (and usually the next day!)
The post Garlic Soba and Zucchini Noodles appeared first on Naturally Ella.
Flavors of Bali: Mango Chili Rice Salad
Mango Chili Rice Salad
Inspired by the flavors of Bali, Indonesia. Images captured in our temporary Penestanan, Ubud home + kitchen. We’re home, now.
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 mango
- 1 cup celery leaves (or) cilantro
- 1 cup mint
- 1 cup basil
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cup green onion
- 3 leaves kaffir lime leaves
- 6-8 shallots
- 3 stalks fresh lemongrass
- 2-3 chilies of choice
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- several limes
- salt to taste
- ––
In a medium saucepan bring 2 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to boiling. Slowly add 1 cup long grain rice and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook about 45 minutes or until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Remove pan from heat and let stand, covered for 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork before serving.
Segment mango into bite sized pieces. Set aside in a bowl or prep plate. Julienne celery, mint, basil, and parsley or keep leaves whole – however you prefer. For this variation I kept the herbs whole. Set aside. Cut green onion AND chili(es) of choice at a bias, add to prepped herbs and mango that you’ve set aside.
Chop shallots and fry in a small saucepan over medium heat in coconut oil for 5-10 minutes. While the shallots sizzle, prepare fresh lemon grass stalks. You will need a very sharp knife, as the stalks are quite firm. Remove the lower bulb and shed any tough outer leaves. Slice into thin rounds and pound the pieces with a pestle & mortar until softened and fragrant. Add to the shallots. Cut kaffir lime leaves into thin strips with scissors, add to shallots and lemongrass. Let simmer for another 5 minutes or until slightly browned and fragrant. Add a bit of coconut oil if the mix starts to dry out.
Toss together cooled rice and the prepped herbs, mango, etc. Pour fried shallot mixture over the salad and toss again. Add salt and juice of several limes as desired.
