Friday, July 23, 2010

Zucchini Pasta Dressed in Spicy Peanut Sauce and Topped with Tofu and Fun Facts Friday


Yesterday was a bit busy at our place. We had a late dinner and needed to get moving early this morning which is why this post didn’t make it up last night. Other than documenting the ingredients I didn’t have time to write the directions and the remainder of the post.

In the past I would have made used this sauce on soba or whole wheat noodles. However since zucchini pasta provides vitamins and minerals it is a better nutritional choice. It is also nice that it is faster to make. Since this is a cold dish it came together in about 10 minutes. This is always welcome when you are having dinner at 9pm. Here is what I made:

Zucchini Pasta Dressed in Spicy Peanut Sauce and Topped with Tofu
Serves 2

Vegetable Ingredients:

1 zucchini, spiralized
2 carrots, julienned
1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into small chunks

Sauce Ingredients:

3 tablespoons reduced fat peanut butter
1 clove garlic, peeled
½ inch fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fresh citrus juice (either 1 lime or 1/2 lemon)
sriracha, to taste (start with a teaspoon)
water, to achieve the consistency you like (I used about 2 tablespoons)

Garnish:

6 slices of sweet and spicy baked tofu

Directions:

Place the veggies in a large bowl.

Combine the sauce ingredients in your blender and process until smooth. Add as much water as is necessary to achieve a sauce consistency. You want the sauce thicken enough that it will cling to the sauce and not too liquid. Mine was approximately the consistency of sour cream.

Toss the sauce with the veggies and serve. Top with sweet and spicy baked tofu.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 398.86
Calories From Fat (41%) - 162.8

Total Fat - 18.87g
Saturated Fat - 2.31g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 214.24mg
Potassium - 1027.05mg
Total Carbohydrates - 41.28g
Fiber-  6.65g
Sugar - 23.15g
Protein - 23.68g

Comments:

I documented the recipe in my cookbook program before I made it. I reduced the peanut butter so the fat grams were in a range I was looking for. However if you are more concerned about taste I would suggest you add another tablespoon of peanut butter to provide a more intense peanut flavor. Though I will say that we thought it was good the way it was.

If you are eating earlier than we did and want to spend more time on the dish I think that chopped peanuts and cilantro would be great as a garnish. I would also like red bell pepper added to the veggies.

Fun Facts Friday:

Since Fridays tend to be hectic at our house I thought I would get the Fun Facts into this post just in case I don’t have time for another post today.

1. What is the one thing about yourself that you are most proud of? I am one of those extremely honest people. You know the ones that you never want to ask how an outfit looks on you because they will tell you. Everyone that knows me knows what I think. I absolutely will not lie. This has gotten me into trouble in life. When I don’t have something nice to say I tend to keep my mouth shut but sometimes people ask me what I think. That is normally when I get into trouble. But I wouldn’t have things any other way. In a world where lying happens every minute of every day I prefer honesty and can say that I don’t contribute to the BS that goes around.

2. What is one habit you have that you would like to change but don’t know where to start? I cannot leave my cuticles alone. When I get nervous or upset I have to clip them or tear them. Where does that come from? If I had any idea how to stop that I would. *shakes head*

3. Do you have an embarrassing moment that is now funny? I actually have quite a few embarrassing moments to select from. What does that say about me I wonder? I decided to go with the one my husband thinks is so funny.

It happened about 15 years ago. We were spending a week at the Outer Banks in NC. I had on a cute black bathing suit with a bandeau top that had removable straps. Dan and I had gone into the water waist high to cool off. Foolishly I had worn my contact lenses into the water. You didn’t expect me to wear my glasses did you? No way! Wearing my contacts meant I needed to close my eyes when the waves came. This also meant that I didn’t immediately realize a wave pushed my suit down causing me to expose myself. All Dan could do was laugh. You can imagine the rest. I can’t open my eyes or lose my contacts so I am trying to stay mostly underwater, hold my suit up, getting knocked over my waves that I don’t know are coming, and Dan is laughing his ass off. I finally get him to help me ashore and he keeps saying to me, “When will we see these people again.” This is where it gets even funnier.

We go out to breakfast the next morning. Who is sitting at the table next to us? You guessed it a couple that was close to us on the beach the prior day. It is funny now, but I was not laughing then. Now when my husband says, “When we will see these people again,"  I always respond, "Tomorrow morning at breakfast” and we both laugh.

Okay your turn. I can’t wait to hear some of your stories.

Unrelated notes:

Since it is Friday that means it is errand day in my life. I will try to come back later with a post but I can’t guarantee it. I have too much on my agenda today.

I hope you all have a great weekend. Talk to you again soon.

17 comments:

  1. It's like you're reading my mind! I just ate a zucchini pasta salad last week for the first time at a raw restaurant, and have been dying to try making it ever since. Theirs was in tomato sauce, but peanut just sounds better :)

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  2. Allison,

    Once I owned a spiral vegetable cutter zucchini spaghetti became a standard dish at our house. We really like zucchini pasta and could have it a few times a week.

    There is also a sun-dried tomato sauce on my site if you are interested. That sauce is also good on raw flaxbread topped with nut cheese making a raw pizza.

    How fun that you have a raw restaurant near you. I would love to have one near me, but there aren't any that I know of. Bummer. ;-)

    Ali

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  3. I am happy to report Jason picked up enough zucchini for me to make zucchini pasta with - finally. This looks soooo good to me right now.

    OMG - I pick the crap out of my cuticles too. Horrible habit. I am embarrassed for people to see my hands most days. And you already know that I'm overly honest myself. Yes, I do think one can be TOO honest sadly.

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  4. Heather,

    Yay for enough zucchini to make pasta. I can wait to see how you choose to top it. ;-)

    What is with the cuticle thing? It is just a horrible habit and I have no idea where it came from.

    Yes it is possible to be too honest. I try to keep my honesty to myself when I perceive the other person would prefer not to hear it. But when I get asked a direct question that is when I get into trouble. Though I am better at being "pleasantly" honest now. Long story, that I will tell someday. ;-)

    talk to you later,
    Ali

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  5. I LOVE spicy peanut sauce! I was eating it for days when I was stuck in a rut with my spring rolls everyday.

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  6. This peanut sauce sounds so simple, yet delicious...and I love the addition of pineapple. I really have to get one of those spiralizer thingys.

    Can't tarry now; swamped at work, but have a great weekend!

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  7. that was such a cute story(question #3) i love that last part about how when Dan askes when you will see people again, your answer is "at breakfast" lol.
    also i like how you made it so that earlier posts show up at the botom of your new posts. you have so many great ideas and past posts that its always sad to have then buried.

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  8. Carissa,

    Spring rolls with spicy peanut sauce sounds like a great rut to be in. ;-)

    Ali

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  9. you NEED to get peanut butter powder Alicia!! seriously go to beprepared.com GET IT!!

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  10. Rose,

    I really like pineapple and peant sauce, but mango is good too.

    The spiralizer is one of my most used gadgets in the summer time when zukes are abundant. Though it doesn't get much use in the winter. I love how quickly you can make "pasta", much faster than boiling water.

    Sorry to hear about work. I hope you drain the swamp soon. ;-)

    hope you have a great weekend too,
    Ali

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  11. Michelle,

    I am not the best at "computer stuff". Thankfully there is a widget that does that old posts thing, LOL. I loved it on other peoples blogs so I was hoping it would work well on mine too. ;-)

    I have told that story so many times and everyone ends up rolling in laughter. The best part is seeing the people the next morning at breakfast. *rolls eyes* It could only happen to me. I swear sometimes I am a sitcom waiting to happen.

    I completely forgot about the peanut butter powder. Thanks for the remder. ;-)

    Ali

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  12. Lovely "pasta"...I look forward to spiralizing zucchini once I get settled back in Washington state (in about a month)...have a great weekend! xo

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  13. Aimee,

    Thanks, we really like the zucchini pasta.

    Ohhhh my leaving paradise? I hope for a good reason. I love Hawaii, I know it must be tough to leave.

    have a great weekend, :-)
    Ali

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  14. Back from holiday today! We stayed with family and it's funny how our food often becomes a subject of intense discussion and I really can't hold my tongue when it comes to food issues! I got a few sparks going lol.
    1) I am proud of myself for being able to express my feelings and for trying my best to care for my vessel both physically, spiritually and mentally.
    2)Nail biting and my OCD tendencies of cleaning. I just can't relax until things are clean, but I know how to fix it, it's just a long journey.
    3)On a walk one day, someone threw a water balloon off a 20 floor building and it landed right in front me. I was so angry and already in a particularly grumpy state that I turned around, and at the top of my lungs, yelled several expletives as someone could've been seriously injured by the balloon and it just made me so mad that people are so careless. Mr.Possum was laughing at my angry outburst as I am usually someone that does not react and I have a very "innocent" demeanor and it was so hilarious to him that I was yelling curse words in the sky. O and there was a pool of children beside us and a bunch of old folks with jaws agape. I ran away embarrassed, but now when I think of it, I laugh - lol.
    I enjoyed your story, you got a laugh out of me too :)

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  15. Possum,

    I hope it was a good holiday!

    Nice to know I am not the only vocal one in the bunch. ;-)

    I did not get the cleaning thing. Though I prefer things to be clean I would like to have it happen by magic. LOL

    LOL, great story, you had me laughing too. I can imagine myself doing something like that. Glad you got a giggle out of my story. It was completely my own fault, except the next morning at breakfast. ;-)

    have a great evening,
    Ali

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  16. I really need to get a spiralizer. This looks so good!

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  17. Deanna,

    I would be lost with my spiral slicer in the summer. We eat a lot of spiralized zucchini. There may be more zucchini pasta for dinner tonight. ;-)

    Ali

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