Staying Warm with Spicy Food

Once again we're getting ready for a major snowstorm and preparing for a ton of snow and ice. Our priority is staying warm and full. We do have wine, but drinking alcohol actually increases your risk of hypothermia, so instead we're eating spicy food to help warm us from the inside out.

We both enjoy Thai food and frequent Thai Spice in Waynesville - which makes delicious, authentic dishes - as often as we can. However, when we can't make it over the mountain we are learning to make our own Thai-inspired dishes. Jordan's mastered a Thai pizza with peanut sauce, chicken and carrots; I make a chicken, turkey or tofu panang curry and this peanut noodle dish is a great addition to our repertoire.

This recipe is easy (only 15 minutes start to finish) and boy, it is "Thai hot." If you're more tender-tounged and don't enjoy spicy food, this recipe could easily be toned down, and I think I will adjust the spice level myself next time (noted in the recipe). It's a quick dish that provides a serving of lean protein and whole grains with vegetables. Paired with Lean Cuisine's Thai-style chicken spring rolls (a favorite in our house), the entire meal is less than 600 calories.

I especially appreciate that the ingredients in this dish are familiar, and actually are pantry staples at our house. Sometimes, making foreign cuisines can involve exotic, hard-to-find ingredients and require last minute, oftentimes sub-par substitutions. This dish allows you to transform everyday items into an international treat!

The sauce lends a great, deep peanut flavor and creamy coating to the noodles and vegetables. The chopped peanuts layer the nutty flavor but add a much needed crunch. The ground chicken adds to the texture but it's mild flavor is easily manipulated with the sauce; you could use ground turkey as well which has a more assertive flavor, as well. This is a delicious dish that can certainly hold us over until our next Thai Spice adventure.

Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles

Ingredients:

1/4 c creamy peanut butter
1/2 c reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c reduced-sodium soy sauce
4 tsp. sriracha*
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes*
12 oz. uncooked whole grain spaghetti
1 lb. lean ground chicken (or turkey)
1 1/2 c julienned carrots
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped *
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c finely chopped peanuts
4 green onions, chopped

* The spice level here is very hot, consider cutting the sriracha amount in half and omitting the crushed red pepper all together. Also, you may also consider using a green bell pepper - although subtle, the red pepper can add extra spice, too. If you think the sauce is still too spicy, you can add sour cream or cream cheese (1 T at a time) to the sauce mixture or serve it at the table.

Method:

Whisk the first six ingredients in a bowl until well blended.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions, drain.

Meanwhile, cook chicken, carrots, pepper and garlic in large pan over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink. Drain and return to pan.

Stir in peanut butter mixture and bring to a boil. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly (3-5 minutes). Toss spaghetti in the pan with sauce.

Serve topped with green onions and peanuts.