Curry-Spiced Noodles

I'm having a mini flare-up and it's entirely my gluttonous self's fault: like a beast I ate beef (and lots of it!) last week in the form of spaghetti and meatballs (mmm...meatballs) and a greasy burger and fries. Argh.

It's good to return to vegetables this week. Over the weekend I made a comforting eggplant and chickpea stew, and then this: a simple veggie stir-fry with Udon noodles. The recipe in it's original form is below, but I suggest adding more spice. (This may be because we did not use the lemon grass, which was inexplicably missing from Wegman's when we visited - I'll have to take this up with my mother who works there! Complaint!!) Anywho, I don't do bland, so to compensate, and because we like the intensity of flavor brought on my oodles of cumin and additional curry paste (you can find curry paste with the Thai foods in the grocery store - great to stir into many Asian dishes) we added additional flavoring. I'm sure we were missing a huge component by neglecting to use the lemon grass, but again: totally not my fault! A few more notes: I also added about half a cup of chopped cilantro to the dish (in addition to topping it with the stuff) and threw in some sugar snap peas. I was also stoked to use my new Japanese bowls I picked up during our city adventure on Friday; hey, why not try to be authentic?

This recipe easily made four servings, and we both had enough for delicious lunch leftovers the next day. Enjoy!


Curry-Spiced Noodles
courtesy of Cooking Light magazine

• 8 ounces dry udon noodles (thick, round Japanese wheat noodles) or spaghetti
• 4 teaspoons peanut oil, divided
• 2 cups julienne-cut carrot
• 2 cups julienne-cut red bell pepper
• 1 cup julienne-cut green bell pepper
• 4 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 8 ounces)
• 3 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh lemongrass
• 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup organic vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped dry-roasted, unsalted cashews

1. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Set noodles aside; keep warm.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons peanut oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add carrot to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add bell peppers; sauté 2 minutes. Remove carrot mixture from pan.

3. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat; swirl to coat. Add mushrooms; sauté for 2 minutes. Add lemongrass and the next 5 ingredients (through garlic); cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth, 1/2 cup water, soy sauce, and salt. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 minutes or until slightly thick. Add noodles, carrot mixture, and onions; cook for 2 minutes, tossing to combine. Divide noodle mixture evenly among 4 bowls; top with cilantro and cashews.

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