Spicy Peanut Spring Vegetables and Noodles

You know what’s not fun?

A teething toddler. Oh, man. At the risk of sounding dramatic, it’s the worst. For nearly the past two months, little Kase hasn’t been his goofy-smiley self. He’s in pain, and it’s making him irritable. And clingy. And tired. And hungry.

And it’s making me irritable. And clingy. And tired. And hungry. Except the difference between Kase and me is that I actually eat when I’m hungry.

My poor husband.

It’s amazing how kids are so different. When Garrison got his 2-year molars, we had no clue. Sure, we brushed his teeth. Well, as good as you can for a small but chompy child. We just didn’t study the back of his mouth. So when the dentist shared that his molars were in, we were happy surprised.

So you can imagine our sad surprise when we realized Kase has a bad, bad case of molar teething. After ruling out double-ear infections (which he is prone to getting), we accepted this teething business. We are trying our best to power through it and find the good. Sooooo…

You know what is fun?

Finding in-season asparagus at the grocery store! I know I said we are trying our best to find the good, but I can assure you that fresh asparagus is not a stretch. I love this time of year. To me, fresh asparagus exudes spring. I am craving spring more than ever this year. With at least nine inches of snow still on the ground, I’ll take whatever I can get. I’ll take asparagus.

Spicy Peanut Spring Vegetables and Noodles is an excellent dish that incorporates fresh asparagus. It also includes other vibrant vegetables, so it’s a visually appetizing. Julienned red peppers and shaved carrots add great color. The secret to shaving carrots is using a vegetable peeler; just run the peeler over the carrot, and voila! Perfect carrot ribbons.

The spicy peanut sauce is so good. And so spicy. You might remember that I have a thing for spicy peanut sauces (and in case you don't remember, check out my Spicy Peanut Chicken Cups). If spicy sauces aren't your thing, cut back on the jalapeno. I should make a note about the sauce. It will thicken, so don’t panic if it seems liquid-y. Be patient. Let it boil. Stir it frequently. It will happen!

This post wouldn’t be complete without the obligatory jalapeno warning. I just love cooking with jalapenos. I can’t get enough of their spice! When you chop them up, wear gloves and be extra-careful. I would suggest that if you do cut them without gloves, don’t rub your eyes. Or pick your nose. At least for awhile. Ouch.

If you are trying to find any sign of spring you can, I hope buying asparagus and making Spicy Spring Vegetables and Noodles does the trick. And if you’re dealing with a teething toddler, would you like to start a support group?

Spicy Spring Vegetables and Noodles
Adapted from: Taste of Home

Spicy Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp. lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1/4 tsp. brown sugar

6 oz. thin spaghetti
18 asparagus spears, cut into 1” pieces
1 red pepper, julienned
1 medium carrot, shaved
1/3 cup green onions, sliced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Dry roasted peanuts, chopped, for garnish

In a small saucepan, combine the chicken broth, soy sauce, peanut butter, lime juice, jalapenos, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until the sauce begins to thicken. Turn the burner off, but keep the saucepan on the burner to stay warm.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, sauté asparagus and red pepper in oil for 6-8 minutes. Add carrots and green onions to the asparagus mixture; sauté for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are crisp-tender.

Drain pasta, toss with vegetable mixture and sauce. Garnish with dry roasted peanuts, if desired. Serves 4.

Spicy Peanut Chicken Cups + Crunchy Lettuce Toss

 

What a fantastic long weekend we had. My mom visited, and the boys loved the attention from Grandma (although they missed Grandpa…darn work—but fun!—trip to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Taiwan). We had a lot of fun: we shopped, we went to the Children’s Museum, we played (a lot!), and we ate (duh!). I’m so excited to share with you the stars of the weekend menu. 

Spicy Peanut Chicken Cups and Crunchy Lettuce Toss are the perfect meal combination. The chicken cups definitely bring the heat and have such a great flavor. The salad is coated with a delightfully sweet yet tangy vinaigrette. What makes the lettuce toss extra special is the addition of broccoli and toasted ramen noodles. Seriously, what’s not to love? My husband couldn’t get enough of both! And would you believe that my three-year-old actually ate the salad? I can’t even make that up.

The beauty of the chicken cups is that there is a lot of room to alter the recipe to suit your own taste and to yield as many as you want. I used a bottled peanut sauce, but Closet Cooking’s Thai Spicy Peanut Sauce would be extra-fantastic. Although I intended to add chopped water chestnuts to the chicken mixture before baking, I completely forgot! I actually developed this recipe as a way to use up the remaining won ton wrappers from our Taco Cups we had earlier last week.

Spicy Peanut Chicken Cups

Source: Ashley original

Cooked, shredded chicken breasts

Peanut sauce (I used House of Tsang Bangkok Padang Peanut Sauce)

Won ton wrappers

Green onions, chopped

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Dry roasted peanuts, chopped

Combine chicken and peanut sauce in a bowl. Use as much peanut sauce as you prefer (I used enough peanut sauce to coat the chicken generously, but I didn’t want the mixture too runny). In a mini muffin pan, place as many won ton wrappers in the cups as you are planning to make. Make sure you push the wrappers gently into the wells; you may need to fold the sides to get a good fit. Spoon in the chicken mixture into each wonton wrapper being careful not to fill too full (you will want to leave room for the toppings). Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes (or until the wrappers have slightly browned). Top cups with green onions, cilantro and peanuts.   

Crunchy Lettuce Toss

Adapted from: Taste of Home

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 tsp. soy sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 pkg. (3 oz.) ramen noodles, broken

2 Tbsp. butter

1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli

1 small bunch leaf lettuce, torn

5 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

To make the vinaigrette, combine sugar, oil, vinegar, soy sauce, salt and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well. Discard the seasoning packet from the ramen noodles or save for another use. In a skillet, sauté the ramen noodles in the butter until golden brown (be careful because once they start to brown, they brown fast!). In a large bowl combine lettuce, broccoli, and onions. Just before serving, toss in noodles and walnuts. The vinaigrette may be drizzled over the salad (and tossed again) or it can be served separately (my preference). 

  

If you are living in the Land of the Cold, I hope you are staying warm. The wind chill was -30 degrees yesterday. Woof. As cold as it gets, it sure is pretty around here. I am thankful for beautiful South Dakota sunsets. Truly spectacular. And definitely no photo editing needed.

  

I was not compensated to use House of Tsang Bangkok Padang Peanut Sauce. The opinions expressed in this blog are my own.