Simple Thai Peanut Sauce

Alright, you have a vegan coming to stay with you for a few days. You've run out of  Lentil Loaf. You make...

THAI PEANUT SAUCE with noodles of course!

Yes, you can buy the pre-packaged envelopes at the grocery store. And while those may taste delicious, I have never really been one to handle super spicy foods (I'm pretty sure I would die if I actually had to eat in Thailand). So this sauce recipe is kid-friendly (read: Cooking Cadenza Chef friendly) not at all hot to the taste (that being said, if you would like to add some zest, feel free).

I was tempted to add some chicken to this dish as well, but ended up discovering that the frozen strips in our fridge may have been a bit too frost-bitten... ugh. So low-and-behold, this dish stayed as a truly vegan experience. While the chicken may have beefed-up (er, chickened-up) the recipe a bit nutrition-wise, whatever it lacked in protein was made up for by its fabulous taste.

Seriously, the picture doesn't even do this meal justice. Go make it and see for yourself.

SIMPLE THAI PEANUT SAUCE

Servings: 4

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 8+ per bowl (with 2 oz pasta, 1/4 serving sauce, veggies)
Note: Nutritional values below are for 1/4 serving of the Thai Peanut Sauce only (pasta not included)

Ingredients:

• Actual Dish:
• Barilla Plus spaghetti (8 oz for 4 people)
• Frozen peas
• Carrot chips
• 1 TBSP sesame oil
• 1 TBSP soy sauce
• Peanut Sauce:
• 1 TBSP peanut butter
• 1 TBSP sesame oil
• 1 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 TBSP brown sugar
• 2 tsp sesame seeds (1 tsp in mixture, 1 tsp to sprinkle on top)

Directions:

1. Cook noodles according to package instructions.
2. While water is boiling, combine all ingredients (PB, sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame seeds) to make the peanut sauce in a small bowl.
3. Next, heat oils/sauces in a pan and add veggies. Fry for a few minutes until veggies have been coated (do not cook them too long).
4. Combine spaghetti and veggies/oil into serving bowls and top with a few spoonfuls of peanut sauce (stirring throughly) and sesame seeds.
5. เริงร่า (or enjoy)!

(Vegan-Friendly) Lentil Loaf

I'm sure you've all seen it, that commercial where the girl invites a guy over to her house for lunch and her mom prepares a nice meat and cheese tray for them to enjoy. The girl then says, "No, not good! He's a vegetarian!" and she and her mom quickly take to the internet to find some good vegetarian recipes (sadly, I couldn't find the commercial on the internet, so I've included Veganville with Justin Timberlake for your video link enjoyment instead). Now take the guy in the commercial and make him a vegan instead of a vegetarian. Obviously, your go-to dish is....? And pause. Crickets begin chirping. Ummmm... I don't have any tofu in the house, but fruits and veggies are vegan, right? Now what recipe do I have that I can I make using just those ingredients....? Hmmmm... let me look on the internet at my favorite cooking blog.

Have no fear, Cooking Cadenza is here! 

This recipe was inspired by my friend Daniel who joined my family for our Easter celebration this past Sunday. While my family's typical Easter brunch usually consists of vingadolge (Portuguese pickled pork), scrambled eggs, breakfast casserole (sausage, egg, cheese), and pastries, none of those foods are typically consumed by a vegan. So Daniel went ahead and sent me a recipe for lentil loaf, which when paired with veggies/fruits can make for a nice vegan dish. So next time you have a vegan joining you for dinner, you'll be prepared. Enjoy! 

(Vegan-Friendly) LENTIL LOAF

Servings: 6

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 5+ (not counting fruits/veggies), 7+ (fruits/veggies included)
Note: Nutritional value listed below is for 1/6 serving and includes all fruits/vegetables

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked lentils (about 1 c uncooked, with 3 cups water)
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 c walnuts, chopped
• 24 Ritz crackers, crushed (about 1 cup)
• Bag of frozen vegetables
• Garlic salt, to taste
• 1 cup natural applesauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• Optional: 1/4 cup BBQ sauce, 1/4 cup oatmeal

Directions:

1. Cook lentils according to package directions. Be careful to not use too many lentils, as they will expand with the water (think quinoa/rice).
2. Preheat oven to 350° F.
3. Chop 1/2 onion and and set aside.
4. Crush about 24 crackers (or about 1 cup) and set aside.
5. When lentils are finished cooking, add in onion, walnuts, and crackers and stir.
6. Next, mix in the bag of frozen vegetables, applesauce, and ketchup, adding garlic salt to taste.
7. Pack mixture into a small baking pan and top with ketchup/barbeque sauce and sprinkle some oatmeal on top.
8. Bake for about 40 minutes and enjoy!