Cold Sesame Noodles and Vegetables

A long-time favourite at Chinese restaurants, cold sesame noodles and vegetables make a great side dish (double the portions for a main dish). Sesame paste has been replaced with peanut butter and sesame oil.

Ingredients 250 g whole-wheat noodles or linguine
1⁄3 cup fresh coriander
2 tablespoons reduced-fat peanut butter
2 tablespoons reduced-salt soy sauce
2 1⁄2 teaspoons clear honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 carrots, slivered
1 red pepper, slivered
1 large celery stalk, slivered
2 green onions, slivered

Directions

Cook the noodles in a large saucepan of boiling water according to the package instructions, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1⁄2 cup of the cooking water.
Meanwhile, combine the coriander, peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and cayenne pepper in a food processor or blender and purée. Transfer to a large bowl.
Whisk in the reserved pasta cooking water. Add the linguine, carrots, pepper, celery and green onions and toss well to combine the ingredients. Chill the cold sesame noodles and vegetables in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.

preparation time 15 mins
cooking time 10 mins, plus 1 hour chilling
serves 6

Nutritional information

PER SERVING

211 calories
8 g protein
6 g total fat
1 g saturated fat
0 mg cholesterol
31 g total carbohydrate
5 g sugars
7 g fibre
312 mg sodium

The pasta cooking water, which carries some of the pasta’s starch, is used here to “stretch” the sauce. It’s a traditional Italian technique for thinning or smoothing a sauce so that it coats the noodles better. And the water replaces what might otherwise be a lot of extra fat.

Source: Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart, Reader's Digest Canada