"Spicy Sesame Noodles with Green
Beans" (page 240) is simply delicious! Although technically this dish can
go together rather quickly (it is in the "Fast Recipes" category of
this book, meaning the dish can be prepared in 30 minutes or less), it can also
be somewhat labor - and pots and pans - intensive. It calls for green beans,
which you might have to trim, cut, and steam (1st pot); there is the pasta to
boil (2nd pot); there are the veggies to dice and stir fry (3rd pot/skillet). That being
said, this dish is well worth the effort, I'm just not sure I would call it
fast. But then again, I'm not a speedy cook. I rather enjoy lingering over meal
preparation when I have the luxury to do so. The flavorful sauce for this dish
is comprised of tahini, sugar, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, and soy
sauce, which is tossed together with the cooked noodles and sautéed veggies
(red bell pepper, garlic and ginger). Here again Robin incorporates the
"rule of three" theme, this time with sesame: Tahini in the dressing,
sesame oil for sautéing, and sesame seeds sprinkled on top of the finished
pasta toss. I opted to leave out the sesame oil, but as little as ½ teaspoon
would impart a richer sesame flavor if you so desired, with a lot less fat
than the 2 tablespoons the recipe calls for.
ü Omit the oil when sautéing the veggies,
and use a bit of sherry, water, or broth instead, and/or a nonstick skillet.
ü Use whole grain noodles, such as the Eden
My favorite so far is the african-inspired red bean stew on page 254. I am a peanut butter lover! This is so savory and delicious, I'm not sure if you've try'd it yet. Also my second favorite thus far is the Creole rice and red beans on page 272. I usually cut back on the cayenne, but it's so good with tobacco to taste. Thank you for the suggestions. I also cook without oil and I don't use margarine. I love your blog! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary! Thanks for reading my blog, and for your nice words! :) I'm glad my suggestions are helping you with your cooking approach. I *LOVE* the "African-Inspired Red Bean Stew"; I have tried it and reviewed it here: http://testing-1000vr.blogspot.com/2011/01/african-inspired-red-bean-stew.html I've made it a few times, and never get tired of it! And I've just recently tried the "Creole Rice & Red Beans", and loved this too, but haven't had a chance to post it on the blog yet - stay tuned! Keep me posted on other recipes as you try them, I love getting the feedback!!
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