EVERYDAY FOOD FOR A QUICK AND EASY DINNER

Posted in Pasta & Noodles by

I don’t buy every single issue of Martha Stewart‘s Everyday Food, but often grab it for a quick browsing at the grocery store. Depending on what catches my eye, I’ll bring it home.  Even though I’ve been reading the publication for years, only last week I noticed they offer free online newsletters, which I subscribed to. If you want to check them out, jump here and choose the ones that appeal to you.  I signed up for “Dinner Tonight” and “Everyday Food”. Once a day I get an email from each with a recipe title in the subject. If it seems interesting, I open it, otherwise I  delete it right away, no time wasted.  Last week, one of these emails was a big teaser:  “Whole-wheat Spaghetti with Vegetables and Peanut Sauce.”   There’s no way I could “skip the click.”  😉

WHOLE-WHEAT SPAGHETTI WITH VEGETABLES AND PEANUT SAUCE
(adapted from Everyday Food)

8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 ounces sugar snap peas, tough strings removed, sliced
3 medium carrots, shaved with a vegetable peeler
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, 1 to 2 minutes less than specified in the package.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Add the sliced sugar snap peas and the shaved carrots to the pot with the pasta and cook everything together for a minute.  Drain the pasta and the veggies and set aside.

In the same pot you cooked the pasta, mix together the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar, combining them well.  Add the pasta and veggies,toss gently, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time to create a thin sauce that coats spaghetti. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and serve right away.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments:  I could not stop thinking about soba noodles while I savored this dish.  It would be a natural match for the sauce and veggies, but whole-wheat wasn’t bad at all.  As to the grilled chicken, couldn’t be simpler:  I made a quick marinade with olive oil, lime juice, tequila, and a touch of agave nectar.  Placed boneless chicken breast filets in the mixture for 15 minutes, seasoned with salt and pepper, and grilled them while the pasta cooked.   A delicious, healthy dinner, ready in less than 30 minutes!
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TWO YEARS AGO:  Lemony Asparagus
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33 thoughts on “EVERYDAY FOOD FOR A QUICK AND EASY DINNER”

  1. Anything with peanut sauce is a hit with me; just love it. The carrot is great here and while I enjoy soba too this whole wheat version looks pretty great. Nice photo!

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  2. I bought a package of soba noodles on my last trip to one of the many asian grocery stores in my area and was waiting for inspiration to whip up a tasty dish … though I’m leaning more to a tahini/sesame seed rather than a peanut butter based sauce.

    Any idea what would make a good substitution for the snap peas/green beans?

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    • I have enough email arriving on a daily basis, but I’m glad I subscribed to those, sometimes they come up with exactly what you needed for dinner inspiration…

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    • HA! You fell for the cookie of the day! 🙂
      I considered, but decided against it, as we almost never have them. But, I bet our grad students disapprove of my decision

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    • It’s a nice publication, recipes are simple, and for the most part work quite well. The small size makes it perfect to stick in a handbag and take to the grocery store. Added bonus!

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  7. Kelly, thanks! I shaved my hair (pretty much) a couple of days ago. It took some guts, and it will need some getting used to, but… change is good, very “liberating” 😉

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  9. I’m so like you as I’ll pick up that little magazine in the checkout line too just for inspiration and ideas! I’m going to check out the online newsletter tho, thanks for the tip. Your dish looks great and I like the marinade you prepared for the chicken. I’m all about easy weeknight dinners.

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    • Particularly in the Summer, quick and easy dinners are the way to go. Once it gets cold, I don’t mind spending more time in the kitchen, although weeknights are busy

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  13. You are right, Sally. This is a type of ideal food to eat during the week (quick, easy and tasty). I used to prepare a lot similar dishes during my stay in Paris. Here, it is more difficult, but there is a big chance that I will visit Paris (by car) in coming weeks (probably, the end of august) – and I have enough of space in my car to buy noodles, sauces, spices etc and bring them to Poland !

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