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SusanV I'm SusanV, and I love good food. Join me as I create delicious dishes made with whole foods and without a lot of processed fat and sugar. Want to know more? Check out my FAQs, look through my recipe index, or get inside info on Facebook. Like what you see? Then subscribe to receive email updates. But above all, enjoy!


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Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Pasta and Vegetables with Peanut Sauce

When my family and I go on vacation, we either camp with our Coleman stove or stay in cabins or guest houses with kitchens so that we can prepare our meals and not have to worry about finding vegan food in remote places. But cooking can be tricky when we're not in our own kitchen.

When we're camping it's obvious: We plan each meal exactly and bring every pot, utensil, and ingredient we'll need to make each meal. But staying at a cabin that promises a "fully outfitted kitchen" is always a gamble. Sometimes we've found little more than 4 plates and two pots, a tiny one and a huge one. Even the best outfitted rental kitchens are missing something, which is why I always try to come up with the simplest meals to cook on vacation, meals without too many ingredients to carry with us and that don't use any special equipment.

Our standard easy meal while traveling is spaghetti with store-bought sauce. The three of us can eat 8 ounces of pasta and one jar of spaghetti sauce at one meal (along with steamed vegetables). This time, I decided to build off of that meal and save time and ingredients by cooking a full pound of spaghetti and saving half of it for a second night's meal. Since we always travel with a jar of peanut butter, it made sense to make a peanut sauce for the second pasta meal, using the soy sauce and cider vinegar I found in the pantry of the guest house. I kept the spicing simple, using only the basics that we'd brought with us or picked up at a grocery store along the way. Though simple, this turned out to be delicious!

Pasta and Vegetables with Peanut Sauce at the Juniper Tree Guest House

Pasta and Vegetables with Peanut Sauce

8 ounces pasta, cooked
1/2 bunch broccoli, cut into florets and stems peeled and sliced
14 baby carrots, halved lengthwise
2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tsp. dark sesame oil
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. ginger root, minced
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter (I used chunky because that's what we had)
1/2 - 3/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup soy sauce (replace with more water if you're salt-free)
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2-4 green onions, sliced

Prepare the pasta and keep it warm. If you're using pre-cooked pasta, bring it to room temperature.

Begin steaming the broccoli and carrots. After a few minutes, or when the broccoli begins to turn bright green, add the zucchini and steam until all vegetables are tender but still crisp. The time will vary depending on the method of steaming you use, so just watch them carefully and don't let them over-cook.

While the vegetables are steaming, heat the sesame oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the peanut butter, and cook, stirring, until it is heated through. Slowly stir in the hot water and add soy sauce, vinegar, and cayenne. Stir until it is a smooth mixture, adding more water if it is too thick. Then add the cooked pasta and toss to coat.

Once the vegetables are steamed, add them to the pasta and sauce. Mix well and serve sprinkled with chopped green onions.

Makes 4 servings. Each contains 375 Calories (kcal); 8g Total Fat; (18% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 63g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 1138mg Sodium; 10g Fiber. 7 Weight Watchers Flex Points.

We ate this in a garden filled with irises, dianthus, columbine, poppies, and other flowers I couldn't recognize, gazing off into mountains painted red by the sunset. Nothing ever tasted so good!

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11 Comments:

Blogger Melody said...

Looks delicious..

10:15 AM, June 14, 2006  
Blogger Catherine said...

Great picture, Susan! Camping cuisine is a challenge - but fun! I love peanut sauce with veggies and tofu - this looks delish.

11:26 AM, June 14, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That dish looks delicious for a homecooked meal, none the less a vacation meal. I don't know how you do it. I just had an interesting cooking on vacation experience myself. I was with my very omni and "why the heck do you have to be vegan?" family. Luckily we always had a full kitchen, however it was definitely a difficult challenge. I'm going to have to remember this recipe for next time. Glad you enjoyed the trip!

-Teresa

11:30 PM, June 14, 2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

How wonderful that you are cooking such nutritious (and tasty!) meals for you and your family while on vacation...that's truly rejuvenation for the soul (though it seems that your family enjoys wonderful meals even while at home :))! Welcome back!

11:50 PM, June 14, 2006  
Blogger karina said...

Looks delicious - as always! Peanut sauce on brown rice noodles is one of my no-fail favorites.

8:48 AM, June 15, 2006  
Blogger Brooke said...

I think I will have to try this recipe out tonight! Maybe even my kids will eat this one....

-Brooke

11:53 AM, June 15, 2006  
Blogger ~M said...

This would be a great recipe to try with the all-buckwheat noodles I recently bought.

8:55 PM, October 09, 2007  
Anonymous Liz said...

This recipe is so good! I've made it twice now and it turned our great both times. It's fast, easy, and even my non-vegetable friendly boyfriend enjoys it!!!

3:30 PM, October 22, 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Susan,
Do you happen to have the nutrition info for this dish? It looks amazing.

9:42 PM, July 25, 2008  
Blogger SusanV said...

I just added the nutritional info to the end of the recipe. Hope that helps!

10:50 PM, July 25, 2008  
Blogger Wendy Holder said...

This probably the best pasta recipe I've ever made and enjoyed. Thanks for have such a helpful blog. My wife and I are both trying to eat a low fat vegan diet. Thanks

1:18 PM, December 07, 2009  

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