Steak, Edamame, and Cabbage Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce

I don't know people with nut allergies survive sometimes. Not only do tons of products you'd never suspect have the potential to contain trace amounts, but nuts add flavor and nutrition to so many meals. Personally, I'm a sucker for anything with peanut butter or peanut sauce. For dessert, peanut butter and chocolate are an undeniably wonderful pair, but peanut butter and chilies make just as great a pair in savory applications.

I came across this while looking for ways to use up a formidable head of red cabbage but the truth is, just about any veggie would taste great stir-fried and drizzled with this peanut sauce. The sweet, savory, spicy sauce is the perfect contrast to the fresh and crunchy vegetables, rich enough to be filling, but not so much as to bury the steak and edamame. I love this with warm ingredients straight from the wok, but I can see this sauce in cold noodle dishes (or leftovers) or as a dipping sauce for spring rolls or dumplings as well.

Steak, Edamame, and Cabbage Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce
adapted from Eating Well
serves 4

1/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter
1/3 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces pound flank steak, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 small head Savoy or red cabbage, thinly sliced
2-5 tablespoons water
2 medium carrots, grated
1 cup cooked edamame
1/4 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts, (optional)
Sriracha or other hot sauce, for serving (optional)
Rice or noodles, for serving (optional)

1. Whisk peanut butter, orange juice, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl until smooth. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add steak and cook, stirring, until browned and barely pink in the middle, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Swirl in the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Add cabbage and 2 tablespoons water; cook, stirring, until beginning to wilt, 3 to 5 minutes. Add carrots and edamame (and more water if necessary to prevent sticking or burning) and cook, stirring, until just tender, about 3 minutes more. Return the steak and any accumulated juices to the pan, then pour in the peanut sauce and toss to combine. Serve topped with peanuts and hot sauce over noodles or rice, if desired.

Cold Veggie Noodle Salad with Creamy Peanut Sauce

Although this recipe is extremely portable, I made it when I actually had time to prepare myself a lunch right before eating it. With a little time off from work over the 4th of July holiday, I took the time to treat myself. Part of that indulgence was grilling some ribs and ordering pizza, but I also took the time to make myself healthy and delicious lunches that felt like treats in themselves and loaded my body with enough nutrients to withstand the caloric onslaught to come. I love Asian-inspired noodle bowls partly for the wonderful palate of flavors they draw from but also because you can throw in almost any veggie, a particular asset when the farmers' market is overflowing. I used bell peppers, scallions, cucumbers, and carrots, eagerly gathering up little bits of a host of vegetables in my fridge, but I was most happy with my use of broccoli stems. They occasionally get made into slaws, but that delicious part of the plant all too often goes to waste when they merely need to have their tough outer peel removed. This garden bounty is accompanied by simple peanut sauce that strikes a masterful balance of richness, acidity, and spiciness, generously flavoring the fresh vegetables and nutty whole wheat noodles without burying them. Whether it's a leisurely day at home or you need to pack a meal-on-the-go, this meal will satisfy your needs in delicious and nutritious fashion.

Cold Veggie Noodle Salad with Creamy Peanut Sauce
adapted from The Kitchn
serves 1 to 2

3 ounces whole wheat linguine or Chinese wheat noodles, rice noodles, or udon noodles
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
3/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)

4 ounces mixed vegetables, cut into matchsticks (carrots, bell peppers, scallions, cucumbers, broccoli stems, etc.)
2 tablespoons roughly chopped roasted salted peanuts, divided
Cilantro leaves, lime wedges, and Sriracha, for garnish

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking broth before straining. Run the noodles under cold water and shake to remove excess liquid before returning them to the empty pot.

2. In another bowl, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and 1 tablespoonshot cooking broth and whisk vigorously until mixed. (It will be quite thick.) Toss the peanut sauce with the noodles until coated. Stir in additional hot cooking broth — a few splashes at a time — until the dish is smooth and creamy. (You will probably not need all of the reserved broth.) Taste and season with red pepper, additional soy sauce, and rice vinegar if desired.

3. Fold in 2/3 of the veggies and half of the peanuts. Transfer noodles to serving dish and garnish with remaining veggies and peanuts. Garnish with cilantro leaves, lime wedges, and Sriracha, if desired. This can be served warm, cold, or at room temperature.

Asian Noodle and Cabbage Salad with Caramelized Pork

It's really amazing to me how many different food traditions use cabbage. It's fermented from Korea (kimchi) to Germany (sauerkraut) and stir-fried, slow-cooked, sauteed, baked, and eaten raw everywhere in between. With all the cabbage my CSA provided, I had ample opportunity to try all the cuisines and cooking methods my heart desired. So I stir-fried, braised, ate it raw, and filled my tacos with it, mixing it up as much as possible so my palate wouldn't get burnt out one preparation. Pork and cabbage is a classic German combination, rich and hearty pork chops or sausage nestled in a generous portion of slow-cooked, tender cabbage and a comforting favorite. This recipe, though using the same two key ingredients, is it's polar opposite, fresh and crunchy cabbage with lean stir-fried pork that satisfies in a totally different way. Both the dressing for the cabbage and the pork marinade have the perfect balance of sweet and savory that is so addictive and makes this taste like bad-for-you takeout when it's really a quick and healthy meal. (And the leftovers aren't a bad cold midnight snack, either.) Whether you're in a rush to put dinner on the table, in the mood for takeout but short on time, or just have some cabbage to use up, this recipe is a brilliant solution.

Asian Noodle and Cabbage Salad with Caramelized Pork

adapted from Martha Stewart

serves 2

4 ounces soba or whole wheat spaghetti noodles
2 tablespoons soy or tamari sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 recipe Caramelized Asian Pork (recipe follows)
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
Sriracha, or other hot sauce, for serving (optional)

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, oil, sugar, garlic, and ginger.

2. Drain noodles, transfer to bowl with soy mixture and toss. Add pork, scallions, and cabbage and toss to combine. Add hot sauce, if using, and serve.

Caramelized Asian Pork

adapted from Food and Wine

serves 2

2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
8 ounces pork chops or cutlets, cut into bite-size pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Combine garlic, soy sauce, sugar and oil in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add pork to the marinade and turn to coat the pork. Let stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.

2. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Add the pork and cook, stirring frequently, until pork is cooked through.

Pad See-Ew

One of the culinary bright spots while I was living in Ames for graduate school was the Pad See Ew at Thai Kitchen. Although the food scene in Madison is far superior to that in Ames, I have yet to find a Pad See Ew that I like as much as that one. Perhaps it was in part because I was usually eating lunch with Heather, one of the greatest people I know, but that dish still holds a soft spot in my heart. I was recently inspired to try and make it myself after going down a culinary rabbit hole of unknown origin, starting with this recipe from Serious Eats. Although nothing can compare to a dish made in a well-seasoned wok with years of flavor, this dish has much of the flavor I remember, my only regret being I had to substitute pad thai noodles for flat rice noodles. Oyster or fish sauce imbues the dish with umami, blending beautifully with chewy rice noodles, rich eggs, and fresh, crisp broccoli. It takes less time to make this meal than order delivery, is much healthier, and is at its best flavor and texture fresh from the wok so I know this is destined to make many more appearances for dinner. I look forward to tweaking and perfecting this recipe even further and someday getting to cook it for an old friend.

Pad See-Ew
adapted from Serious Eats
serves 4

4 ounces boneless chicken, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons oyster sauce or fish sauce
4 teaspoons light soy sauce, divided
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
Vegetable oil
8 ounces flat rice noodles or pad thai noodles
2 cups broccoli florets, sliced
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sweet dark soy sauce
Procedures

1.In a medium-sized bowl, toss the chicken with 2 teaspoons of soy sauce and the baking soda. Set aside.

2. In a second medium-sized bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, and garlic clove.

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rice noodles and cook according to the directions on the packaging. When done, remove noodles with a pair of tongs and drain in a colander. Toss with a tablespoon of oil so the noodles don't stick together.

4. Place the pot back over high heat and return to a boil. Place the marinated chicken in a large strainer and dip into the water. Cook until the chicken looks white. When done set the chicken aside in a large bowl.

5. Pour enough oil into a large work to just coat the bottom and turn heat to high. When just starting to smoke, add the broccoli. Stir-fry until broccoli turns bright green and becomes tender. Transfer broccoli to the large bowl and set aside.

6. Carefully rinse out the wok and then dry it. Pour in two tablespoons of oil, and turn heat to high. When just starting to smoke, crack in the eggs. Using a wooden spoon, scramble the eggs. When set, add the noodles. Toss well to separate the strands, and then let them cook for a minute.

7. Drizzle on the sweet soy sauce, toss well, and then let cook undisturbed until the noodles start to brown, about one minute. Add the broccoli and chicken back to the pan. Toss well. When everything is warm, pour in sauce. Stir fry until everything is coated. Turn off the heat and serve immediately.

Shrimp and Noodle Salad with Ginger Dressing

Although safely ensconced in my central air-equipped house during the days of record-setting oppressive heat, I could barely bring myself to turn on the stove or oven to cook dinner and certainly had no appetite for anything warm. In the dog days of summer, cool, fresh meals like this noodle bowl are exactly what I crave. The combination of whole wheat noodles, crunchy vegetables, and savory shrimp blended together with cilantro, scallions, and a vibrant dressing comes together in a manner of minutes thanks to a number of short-cut ingredients. It's flavorful enough to wake up almost any palate, but still mild enough to be a crowd-pleaser, provided you're not feeding anyone who hates cilantro. If you like your food with heat, as I do, I recommend adding a bit of Sriracha at the end. And although I'll rarely turn down a dish involving shrimp, this can easily be made vegetarian by substituting baked tofu for the shrimp, or just omitting them entirely. With all the psychologically and gastronomically satisfying characteristics of take-out sans the calories, MSG, and expense, this is the perfect meal for busy, steamy summer days.

Shrimp and Noodle Salad with Ginger Dressing 
adapted from Food and Wine
serves 4

8 ounces dried udon noodles or whole wheat spaghetti or fettuccine
12 ounces shredded coleslaw mix
2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 cup cilantro leaves
3/4 pound cooked medium shrimp, halved lengthwise
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon Chinese chile-garlic sauce
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt
Lime wedges and Sriracha (optional), for serving

1. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Pat dry and transfer to a large bowl. Add the coleslaw mix, scallions, cilantro and shrimp.

2. In a blender, combine the teriyaki sauce with the ginger and chile-garlic sauce and puree until smooth. With the machine on, slowly add the vegetable oil in a thin stream and puree until the dressing is emulsified. Season lightly with salt. Add the dressing to the bowl with the udon noodles and toss well. Serve the noodle salad with lime wedges on the side, and a shot of Sriracha, if desired.

Make Ahead The dressed salad can be refrigerated overnight. Add the shrimp just before serving.

Sesame-Peanut Noodles

My husband and I had a low-key Friday night at home and I wanted a quick and fun, but still relatively healthy dinner to go along with our movie, so I could still indulge at our weekly meal out on Saturday. I'm also on a mission to clean out the pantry, fridge, and freezer a bit so when I saw that we had a few mini spring rolls left in the freezer, I instantly thought of a veggie-packed noodle bowl as the perfect main dish to accompany them. This great simple dinnerfeels a bit like take-out, but without all the fat, salt, and MSG and you can throw in pretty much whatever veggies you like and have in the fridge. On a technical note, you'll likely want to thin the dressing out a bit to coat all the noodles with some water; adding the noodles and veggies to the dressing when the noodles and peas are freshly drained and still a bit warm will also help to distribute the dressing. So whip up a quick bowl of noodles, pop in a movie, and enjoy!

Sesame-Peanut Noodles
adapted slightly from Whole Foods
serves 4

1 (8-ounce) package 100% whole grain soba noodles or whole wheat spaghetti
2 cups sugar snap or snow peas, strings removed
2 tablespoons roasted smooth peanut butter or almond butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon reduced sodium tamari
1 tablespoon sesame tahini
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 cup sliced green onions
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1. Cook soba noodles or spaghetti according to package directions. Add peas with 1 minute cooking time remaining. Drain noodles and peas thoroughly.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, vinegar, tamari, tahini and crushed red pepper. Add a splash of warm water if needed to thin the sauce so it will coat the vegetables and noodles. Add noodles, snow peas, carrots, bell pepper, green onions and sesame seeds. Toss to coat noodles and vegetables thoroughly with sauce. Serve room temperature or chilled.

Red Curry Peanut Noodles

I often get very specific food cravings, and I've had a cold peanut noodle bowl on my mind for a while, so I went searching for a recipe, thinking it might make a nice Packer snack to go with the NFC Championship game. It took a lot of self control to wait until 2:00pm to eat lunch for me, but along with a couple of mini spring rolls, this made a delicious accompaniment to the Packers defeat of the Bears. While these noodles are good, they aren't a standout dish in my mind, the lack of heat being one of the key reasons. But it is a good solid dish that is easy and quick to make, healthy, and makes great leftovers for lunch the following day. If I make this again, I'll add a minced jalapeno or Thai chile for heat and more vegetables because I prefer a higher vegetable to noodle ratio in my noodle dishes (although most restaurants and recipes don't agree). Peppers or broccoli would be excellent in this noodle bowl, as would tofu or grilled chicken. This is another one of these recipes I really love because it is so customizable and adaptable, so you can find a combination to please almost anyone.

Red Curry Peanut Noodles
from Food and Wine
serves 4

3/4 pound whole-wheat spaghetti
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1/3 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed cilantro leaves
Kosher salt
1 cup mung bean sprouts (2 1/2 ounces)
2 scallions, white and green parts quartered and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 carrot, coarsely grated
1/3 cup salted, roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Lime wedges, for serving

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti until it is al dente. Drain the spaghetti and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain very well.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the peanut butter with the lime juice, red curry paste, stock and 1/4 cup of the cilantro leaves and puree. Season the sauce with salt.

3. In a large bowl, toss the spaghetti with the peanut sauce, bean sprouts, scallions and carrot until well coated. Season with salt. Transfer to bowls and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro leaves and the peanuts. Serve with lime wedges.

Pork Lo Mein

I'm back with a new recipe! I'll be honest, I almost didn't make this for dinner tonight. I had to work late and was feeling lazy, but I'm glad that I made myself cook this for dinner. Although sometimes it's hard to get up the motivation to start when I'm busy and tired, cooking is always ultimately good for my mood and really relaxes me.


I saw this recipe on an episode of America's Test Kitchen and thought it sounded right up my alley. I couldn't find fresh Chinese egg noodles so I used dried linguine, substituted fish sauce for the oyster sauce since that's what I had, and my grocery store was shamefully out of shiitake mushrooms, so I had to use regular white mushrooms. But it still turned out great! I used Sriracha for the chile garlic sauce and if you don't like things spicy, I'd cut back or eliminate it all together (lucky for me, I love spicy food).

Pork Stir Fry with Noodles (Lo Mein)
from America's Test Kitchen
Serves 4

3 T. soy sauce
2 T. oyster sauce
2 T. hoisin sauce
1 T. toasted sesame oil
1/4 t. five-spice powder
1 lb. boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed of surface fat and excess gristle and sliced crosswise into 1/8-inch pieces
1/4 t. liquid smoke (optional)
1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 t. cornstarch
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 t.)
2 t. grated fresh ginger
4.5 t. vegetable oil
4 T. Chinese rice cooking wine (Shao-Xing) or dry sherry
1/2 lb. shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed, caps cut in halves or thirds (about 3 c.)
2 bunches scallions, whites thinly sliced and greens cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 c.)
1 small head Napa or Chinese cabbage, halved, cored, and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch strips (about 4 c.)
12 oz. Chinese egg noodles (fresh) or 8 oz. dried linguine
1 T. Asian chile garlic sauce 

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat.

2. Whisk soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and five-spice powder together in medium bowl. Place 3 tablespoons soy sauce mixture in large zipper-lock bag; add pork and liquid smoke, if using. Press out as much air as possible and seal bag, making sure that all pieces are coated with marinade. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. Whisk broth and cornstarch into remaining soy sauce mixture in medium bowl. In separate small bowl, mix garlic and ginger with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil; set aside.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in 12-inch cast-iron or nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of pork in single layer, breaking up clumps with wooden spoon. Cook, without stirring, 1 minute. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons wine to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is reduced and pork is well coated, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer pork to medium bowl and repeat with remaining pork, 1 teaspoon oil, and remaining 2 tablespoons wine. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels.

4. Return skillet to high heat, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, and heat until just smoking. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add scallions and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until scallions are wilted, 2 to 3 minutes longer; transfer vegetables to bowl with pork.

5. Add remaining teaspoon vegetable oil and cabbage to now-empty skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Clear center of skillet; add garlic-ginger mixture and cook, mashing mixture with spoon, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir garlic mixture into cabbage; return pork-vegetable mixture and chicken broth-soy mixture to skillet; simmer until thickened and ingredients are well incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.

6. While cabbage is cooking, stir noodles into boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender, 3 to 4 minutes for fresh Chinese noodles or 10 minutes for dried linguine. Drain noodles and transfer back to Dutch oven; add cooked stir-fry mixture and garlic-chili sauce, tossing noodles constantly, until sauce coats noodles. Serve immediately.

Quick Tuna Casserole

I make this dish at least once a month for a couple of reasons. I don't like fish much aside from tuna (though I'm going to start trying to eat them again; hopefully my palate has matured) and this is good way to get some fish into my diet. Also, my husband likes it and I made it the first time at his request. I almost always have the ingredients on hand for tuna casserole, so it's great dish when you have no idea what to make for dinner since nothing needs to be thawed and it's quick and easy to throw together. We ate it for dinner along with Tuscan Whole Wheat-Herb Bread and steamed broccoli.

Quick Tuna Casserole
from The Joy of Cooking

12 oz. canned or pouch tuna, drained
2 c. cooked egg noodles or elbow macaroni (about 4 oz. uncooked)
One 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 c. frozen peas, thawed or one 8-ounce can green peas, drained
3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. chopped pimientos or minced red bell pepper (optional)
2 T. minced scallions or onions (optional)
1 t. Worcestershire sauce or red pepper sauce (optional)

1/2 c. dry bread crumbs, fine cracker crumbs, or crush cornflakes
1/3 c. grated Parmesan (optional)
2 to 3 T. butter; melted

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a shallow 1 1/2 to 2-quart baking dish.

2. Place tuna in a large bowl and break into chunks with a fork. Stir in egg noodles, soup, peas, milk, pimientos/red bell pepper, scallions/onions, and Worcestershire/red pepper sauce until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.

3. Mix together bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, and melted butter and sprinkle over tuna mixture.

4. Bake until top is bubbling and browned, 25 to 35 minutes.