Raggameal: Peanut Noodles

Last night was my Fantasy Football draft.  You must be thinking, wow, Erin, you are probably a pretty big NFL fan.  I am not.  I don't know anything about football.  The only NFL players I can name are famous for things other than football.  Like Tom Brady, who I drafted by the way, impregnated both Michelle Moynahan and Gisele Bundchen so of course I know who he is.  

So, ya, it was draft night so I didn't have much time to deal with cooking.  I had planned on getting take out, but I didn't even have time for that.  I was talking to a friend, telling him I was about to dig in the cupboards to see what I could craft into a meal.  His response?  Oh, a raggameal, huh?  I love it.  Post title, check! 

I dug around, and found that I had rice noodles.  I always have peanut butter and the other ingredients for peanut sauce, and I miraculously had broccoli and a red pepper.  I don't even remember when or why I bought those two items, but there they were, in my fridge and fresh(ish).

I have made peanut noodles before (see here) so this recipe is not new, but whatever.

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small chili pepper, minced
1 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

some broccoli, cut into florettes

(You can use whatever veggies you want)

1 package rice noodles

(I used pad thai-type noodles, but anything will work here.  Even non-rice noodles are good.  I have made peanut noodles with spaghetti before, and it was delicious)

1 tsp sesame seeds

1.  Make peanut sauce.

Heat oil in saucepan.  DO NOT HEAT TOO MUCH.  Keep the burner on low - medium.  Add garlic and chili pepper and cook for 15 seconds.  Add peanut butter and stir until warm.  Add soy sauce and stir until combined.  Add water a bit at a time, stirring, until combined.  Add remaining ingredients, stir, and cook 4 minutes.  I usually end up using more like 2-3 Tbsp brown sugar, but you can adjust the ingredients to your tastes.  I also add a healthy dose of Sriracha. 

2.  Cook the broccoli and red pepper, if you want.  I am not a huge fan of raw broccoli, though I do like raw red peppers.  I sauted the broccoli until tender, then turned off the skillet and threw in the red peppers.  They got kind of warm, but didn't really cook.

3.  Boil water and cook the noodles as the package directs.

4.  Here is choice time.  Do you want cold noodles (my preference) or warm noodles.  If you want warm, drain the pasta, throw in the veggies and peanut sauce, toss and eat.  This works best if the peanut sauce is still warm.  If you want cold noodles, you have to let the peanut sauce cool a bit.  Then drain the noodles and run cold water over them.  Add the veggies and peanut sauce and toss.

5.  Put some on a plate and sprinkle sesame seeds to make it pretty.  Eat.

According to the authorities, I did really well in my draft.  Yay! I did have one autopick because I missed my slot while cooking, but whatever.

Oh, and like all my cooking, it was delicious.  I ate WAY too much of it.

Bon appetit.

Enter the vegetables

Er, enter the vegetable.  Singular.  Broccoli.


I do eat a lot of meat, but I do not exclusively cook with meat.  I will often pick up something green at a farmers market or at the grocery.  Sometimes I even make a trip to the store specifically for something green, as I did for this pasta dish.


Over Labor Day weekend, I took a trip down to Anaheim with my mom and little sister to run the Disneyland Half Marathon (and go to Disneyland).  At some point, my sister mentioned a broccoli pasta dish my mom had cooked recently.  She described the broccoli sauce as "gold".  I had my mom email me the recipe the day I got back to Portland and made the dish that night.


I mentioned in my first post that my biggest cooking influence is my mom.  She cooked dinner for me, my two sisters, and my dad almost every day I lived at home.  Sometimes she would even cook multiple different dinners to appease the varying tastes of the four of us.  She continues to cook nightly for my dad, a man who basically refuses to go out to eat because he says my mom cooks better food than any to be had at a restaurant.  Needless to say, she is an amazing cook.  And she has compiled an extensive collection of recipes, and I can always go to her if I need to know how to make a dish or to get a recommendation.  


Fusilli with Broccoli Sauce


4 Tbsp butter
1/4 c. minced shallots (or garlic)
about 1 1/2 lb broccoli
1/2 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. cream
salt & pepper
1 lb Fusilli
1/4 c. grated parmesan


1. Saute garlic (I NEVER cook with shallots; I can't stand them) in 2 Tbsp butter.


2. Separate broccoli florets from stems.  Discard tough ends of stems.  Peel stems down to tender part.  Keep florets in large pieces.  Add florets and stems to large pot of boiling, salted water.  Florets will cook in about 2 - 3 minutes, stems will take 3 - 4 minutes longer.  Drain broccoli, reserving cooking water.


3. Transfer broccoli to food processor with garlic and any butter remaining in saute pan and process well.  Add chicken stock and process again until as smooth as possible (it does not need to be completely smooth).  Transfer mixture to a 10" skillet and stir in cream.  Season highly with salt and pepper.  Just before you need it, reheat sauce gently over low heat.  Do not cook too long or the sauce will start to lose its pretty green color.


4. Boil pasta in reserved cooing water.  Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of cooking water.


5. Transfer pasta to a large, warm bowl.  Add remaining 2 Tbsp butter and toss to melt butter.  Add sauce (you may not need to use all of it) and toss, adding a little of the cooking water if needed to thin sauce.  Top with grated parmesan cheese.


Bon appetit.