Szechuan Noodles with Cabbage & Broccoli (Peanut & Gluten Free)

As promised, I tried my hand at a peanut & gluten free version of Barefoot's Szechuan Noodles, and my oh-so delicious results are below.  I absolutely forgot to pick up bell peppers to add in (geeze Tara, where do you work again?) and forgot to trim my beastly growing scallions to complete the recipe (again  I ask, what do I do for a living?), so this version is sans a few of the veggies from the original.  But I did add in some sauteed cabbage, which I think was a great addition and would play well with all the original veggies I forgot to include.

Szechuan Noodles with Cabbage & Broccoli

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp wok oil (or olive oil if using a saute pan)
2 broccoli crowns, rough chopped
1/2 head of green cabbage, sliced thin into strips
pinch salt
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp dark chili oil
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup gluten-free soy sauce
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup sherry or dark red wine (I had a tad bit of some Merlot leftover that had gotten quite full bodied, so I used that in place of sherry.  I know, leftover wine, I should be ashamed of myself.  My Mama raised me better.)
1/4 cup local honey
3/4 tsp red chili pepper flakes
2 Tbsp dark sesame oil
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 lb gluten-free pasta (I used rice-based tagliatelle noodles from Schar)

Cook pasta to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a saute pan or a wok, heat oil on medium high heat.  Add in broccoli and cabbage, and saute until they begin to brown.  Season with a pinch of coarse ground salt and lemon juice.  Stir in sesame oil and sesame seeds and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, taking care not to burn the sesame oil as it does not have the same heat properties as normal cooking oils.  Remove from  heat and set aside.

In a food processor or blender, blend ginger, clover and vegetable oil until smoothe.  Add in tahini, almond butter, soy sauce, vinegar and sherry/wine, and blend to incorporate fully, scraping down the sides if need be.  Add in honey, chili flakes, sesame oil and black pepper.  Pulse until well blended.  Pour half over pasta and toss to fully coat the noodles.  Reserve the rest in an air-tight container for future use (I think it could make a pretty killer marinade for some flank steak).  Stir in veggies and serve immediately.

Thai Chicken Quinoa Bowls

So the Mister and I are kind of a hot mess of food allergies.  Our home is peanut, cashew, dairy, egg and gluten free.  And while I adore Thai food, it's pretty much the kiss of death for the hubs.  Thus I was pretty darn excited when I stumbled across these Thai Chicken Quinoa Bowls from How Sweet It Is and realized all I needed were a few key tweaks to make it safe for both of us.  Including subbing in almond butter in place of peanut butter -- you'd never know.  While this dish is the perfect vehicle for this week's cilantro, you could just as easy throw in some of the diced, green bell pepper or even blanch some of the broccoli to toss in.  I say the more crunchy veg in these quinoa bowls, the better!

Thai Chicken Quinoa Bowls

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa, cooked to package instructions
2 chicken breasts cooked & shredded, or use leftover rotisserie chicken
1/3 cup chopped carrots
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Sauce:
4 Tbsp chili garlic sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp coconut milk
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp almond butter
1 lime, juiced
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Toss shredded chicken with cooked quinoa.  Add in chopped vegetables and cilantro and stir to mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients until fully combined and pour over quinoa mixture.  Fold sauce in evenly and taste.  Season with salt & pepper if needed.


Adapted from How Sweet It Is: (http://www.howsweeteats.com/2013/02/thai-chicken-quinoa-bowl/)