Green Machine Rice Noodle Bowl

Scott wanted pasta. I did not. The result was this dish. 

Every Sunday, while I make our weekly grocery list, I ask Scott what he wants for dinners throughout the week. He throws out a few ideas and I usually agree and start thinking about what ingredients we need. This past Sunday he suggested pasta. We had gone out to an Italian restaurant to celebrate our wedding anniversary (we celebrated 3 years on August 17th!) the night before and I think I was still stuffed to the brim from all the eggplant parm I ate. I was craving something light and fresh for dinner on Sunday...not heavy pasta. 

Sometimes when I am really stuck in a rut, I start thumbing through the cookbooks that are stacked in our kitchen. There is something so nice about flipping through actual pages and not scrolling down a screen with your finger. Side note: I think I am starting to go blind from straining my eyes because I may or may not be guilty of looking up too much stuff on my phone. Man...that statement makes me sound like such a millennial. But for real, after almost 30 years glasses-free, I think I need to schedule an appointment with the eye doc.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyway - I was flipping through one of my favorite cookbooks, Plenty More, and I came across a gorgeous veggie rice noodle dish. If you are familiar with Plenty and Plenty More cookbooks, you know how stunning the photos are. Every recipe sucks me in! But the rice noodle dish really stuck out to me. It looked like the perfect balance of comforting noodles and bright, fresh green veggies. I had to make a variation. 

And guess what? It was an absolute winner! I love this dish because it is so light and refreshing. The light sauce and bright citrus really make the ingredients pop. You know when you eat something that just tastes so fresh? That is exactly how this dish felt. 

Fresh. Vibrant. Delicious. 

Oh and hey, it's got some plant-based protein! This is the way I like to eat pasta. Light on the noodles, heavy on the veggies, extra plant protein.  

So thanks for suggesting pasta for dinner, Scott. I guess you do come up with good ideas every once in a while ;)

Green Machine Rice Noodle Bowl (V + GF)

Adapted from the recipe "Rice Noodles with Green Onions and Edamame" From Plenty More by Yotam Ottalenghi

| Serves 4 |

Ingredients: 

• 8 oz dried wide rice noodles
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 small garlic clove, minced 
• 2 bundles of green onions (about 15-20 small ones), white and green parts, trimmed and cut into 1 inch diagonal slices
• 2 cut broccoli florets 
• 2 cups frozen shelled edamame
• 1 Tbsp olive (or sesame oil)
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Juice of 1 large lime 
• 2 Tbsp white sesame seeds
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
• Zest of 1 lime (for garnish)
• Red pepper flakes (for garnish)
• Crushed peanuts (optional for garnish)

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles for about 5 minutes, or until al dente. Drain well, rinse under hot water, and set aside with 1 tsp olive oil stirred through. Cover the noodles to keep warm and set aside. 
2. In a large wok or saute pan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and green onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and edamame and cook for about 5-7 minutes more, until the broccoli has softened slightly. 
3. Turn the heat off, add the cooked noodles to the wok, then add the 1 Tbsp olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, sea salt, sesame seeds, and cilantro.
4. Stir well and sprinkle with lime zest, red pepper flakes, and crushed peanuts (optional). 
5. Enjoy! 

xoxo,

Lauren