cold peanut noodles

Friday is an interesting day for me, foodwise, because it is the day when I do not exercise and, therefore, have more time on my hands. It is also typically the day before my longest run of the week, which means that it's an important day to eat well so I can power through my Saturday morning miles. While contemplating the scheduled 15-mile training run I had on tap for the next morning, I knew for sure that pasta would be the main event. I didn't have any meat, tofu or fish in the house (other than canned tuna, which was decidedly not singing to me), but I wanted a good source of protein in my meal. And that's when it hit me: cold peanut noodles! Using a healthy dose of peanut butter in the sauce, I'd get my protein and a nice hit of fat, too. I grabbed my Bittman cooking bible, which was still out on the counter after another cooking adventure earlier in the week, and excitedly flipped through to the pasta section. Not only was it ridiculously easy to pull together, I also didn't have to leave the house to buy a single ingredient.

That is, I made the recipe work using the slightly-different-than-called-for ingredients that I already had. Namely, dried thin whole-wheat spaghetti for the noodles, regular sesame oil rather than dark, sriracha as my hot sauce, and an unmeasured amount of scallions equal to the only good parts remaining from a bunch that had seen better days. I added frozen edamame to the mix and steamed a mix of bok choy and spinach to make it a meal.

One note about the hot sauce: I added it bit by bit as the noodles were cooking, then left the sauce to hang out while the noodles chilled. When I returned to the sauce, it was much spicier than I remembered it--probably to be expected, since all the different parts had had time to get to know each other better--which for me was a good thing, because I like spicy food. If you do not, consider seasoning with caution.

Cold noodles with peanut sauce
Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
Time: About 40 minutes

12 oz. fresh egg noodles or any dried noodles, such as spaghetti
1/2 to 1 cup frozen shelled soybeans
2 Tbsp. dark sesame oil, divided
1/2 c. natural peanut butter
1 Tbsp. honey
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
Hot sesame oil, chili-garlic sauce, Tabasco or other hot sauce to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
At last 1/2 c. minced scallions for garnish

1. Cook noodles in boiling salted water according to package instructions until tender but not mushy. A minute or two before they're done, add soybeans to the pot. Drain, then rinse in cold water for a minute or two. Toss with half the sesame oil and refrigerate up to two hours, or proceed with recipe.

2. While pasta cooks, make the sauce: Beat together peanut butter, honey, soy sauce and vinegar. Add a little hot sauce and salt and pepper; taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Thin sauce with hot water (I took it straight from the pasta pot), so that it is about the consistency of heavy cream.

3. Toss together noodles and sauce, and add more of any seasoning if necessary. Drizzle with remaining sesame oil, garnish and serve.

PBH oatmeal

The mood that's dominated this week so far has been: wanting to snuggle on the couch, drink coffee, avoid the snow and leaving the house. And you'd think that because I'm unemployed, this would be an option. Alas, it is not. Partly, this is due to how I'm hardwired to do, move, think, act constantly and how I'm unable to laze about without feeling guilty. The other part is that I have obligations and to-dos outside the house (doctor's appointments, my scheduled workouts, dates with friends, or yesterday, needing to be out of the way of the cleaning lady), which means I don't get to heed the voice in my head asking for coziness.

Today will be another busy one (so busy, in fact, that by 7:30 I had literally planned my hour-by-hour schedule for the rest of the day), with lots of time spent away from home. But to make the most of what little time I do have indoors, and to give myself the fuel I need to complete the treadmill speedwork I've got planned, I made the big bowl of breakfast cozy pictured above. It's not rocket science, just my favorite (and most often consumed) sandwich turned into a bowl of hot cereal. Not as good as curling up on the couch and staying there all day, but it comes pretty close.

Oatmeal with peanut butter, banana and honey
1 c. water
1/8 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste (I use about half)
1/2 c. rolled oats
1/4 c. Ezekiel 4:9 organic sprouted whole grain cereal, original or cinnamon raisin (or Grape-Nuts, or skip this)
Half or whole banana
Peanut butter to taste (One caveat: I am a huge lover and eater of peanut butter, but I can't take more than a few teaspoons in my oats; it's just too rich.)
Honey to taste

Add water and salt to small saucepan, and bring to a rolling boil. Add oats, lower heat to medium and simmer 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add Ezekiel cereal, stir, and cook 2 minutes more. Cover saucepan, remove from heat, and let oatmeal stand 2-3 minutes. While it rests, slice banana into small circles or half moons. (I peel it, run my knife through it lengthwise, then slice on the horizontal to make small half moons. I like this size in my cereal because it's not too big for a spoonful.) Add banana to your bowl, with some peanut butter and honey. When oatmeal has rested, pour over remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Taste, and add more peanut butter or honey if desired.