Peanut butter was developed back in the late 1800’s. While it was not invented by George Washington Carver, he has been widely regarded as the “Father of Peanut Butter.” So I would like to use this next blog as a sort of homage to Mr. Carver. I admire him and his accomplishments. He was a forward thinking man who urged Southern farmers to begin planting peanuts instead of cotton. He also came up with over 300 uses for this legume.
Well, this isn’t a history lesson; however, without Mr. Carver, we would not have commercialized peanut butter. Without commercialized peanut butter, we would not have peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Without peanut butter and banana sandwiches, we would not have Elvis. Without the King, we would not have rock-n-roll. Without rock-n-roll, we would not have the band Men without Hats. And without Men without Hats, we would not have “The Safety Dance.”
Now “The Safety Dance” was arguably one of the better songs in the early 80’s. It had a poppy tune, jazzy beat, and whimsical lyrics. And this song sticks to the roof of your brain, like peanut butter sticks to the roof of your mouth. But how could Mr. Carver and “The Safety Dance” be connected? Well, we have already established that without Mr. Carver we would have no peanut butter. Without “The Safety Dance”, I would have nothing to rock out to while cooking. With nothing to rock out to, I cannot cook these carnilicious recipes for you. And without these carnilicious recipes, I have no blog.
So with thanks to Mr. Carver’s peanut butter and Men without Hats’ song, I give you my next recipe. It is a bit poppy with a jazzy beat and whimsical ingredients. So “We can dance if we want to, we can leave your friends behind, ‘cause your friends don’t dance and if they don’t dance, well they’re no friends of mine.” But before we dance, let me present my version of ASIAN NOODLE SALAD.
Ingredients
- 8 Oz. Whole Wheat Noodles
- 6 Oz. Bok Choy
- 1 Lrg. Carrot (shredded)
- 1 Lrg. Cucumber (sliced thin)
- 1 Lrg. Red Bell Pepper (sliced thin)
- 1 Lrg. Yellow Bell Pepper (sliced thin)
- 1 Med. Zucchini (sliced thin)
- 1 Lrg. Mango (chopped)
- 2 Cups Edamame (cooked)
- 2 Tbs. Fresh Basil (chopped)
- ¼ Cup Natural Peanut Butter
- ¼ Cup Sweet Chili Paste
- 1 Tbs. Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbs. Fresh Grated Ginger
- ¼ Cup Lime Juice
- 2 Tsp. Garlic Powder
- Water to thin dressing
Instructions
First of all, I want to start by explaining that this recipe, too, is easy to assemble with hardly any real cooking involved. So there will be plenty of time for dancing once you put together a handful of things. So, cook the noodles according to the directions on the package. Once cooked, drain the pasta, and cool. Now, you can work on the veggies in this recipe.
I like to use Bok Choy in the recipe because A) it has a cool name that reminds me of a ninja or a type of sword you might find while playing Dungeons and Dragons and B) it is a super food which means if you eat enough of it you might develop rapid healing and adamantium claws. However, Napa cabbage works just as well. So slice the bok choy or cabbage into thin strips, and to keep everything uniform, I also cut my carrots, cucumber, peppers and zucchini into thin strips.
Now, place all your veggies and pasta in bowl. Add in the mango, edamame (another possible cool ninja name) and basil. Then in a separate bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing: peanut butter, chili paste, soy sauce, ginger, lime juice, and garlic powder. Thin the dressing with water if need be. I like my dressing to have creamy ranch consistency, but leave it thicker if you want.
Add the dressing to the bowl, and using tongs, adamantium claws, or your immaculately clean hands, toss all the ingredients to combine. From here, I suggest putting the salad back in the frig for about 30 minutes to allow all the flavors to meld together.
https://www.grassfedcarnivore.com/asian-noodle-salad/**If you have peanut allergies, any other sort of nut butter will work in this recipe such as cashew, almond, or sunflower. You can also substitute the peanut butter with a bit of tahini (sesame seed paste) and a touch of sesame oil.
Once you plate the salad, feel free to add a garnish of fresh basil or some added chopped peanuts. Then put on your headphones, crank up your Sony Walkman, and “S-A-F-E-T-Y, …” Longer Letter Later.
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
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