Spicy Peanut Noodles with Ground Pork and Zucchini

We are excited this year to finally have something coming out of our garden, even if it is mostly zucchini so far.  We put mesh over the entire garden to keep the animals out, and it has made a huge difference in spite of the 3 times that groundhogs have made their way in.  The deer keep the plants trimmed on the outside of the mesh, so we're reminded that we're glad they can't get in.  And in spite of a few tomatoes being eaten by chipmunks, we're pretty happy with the results. 

So we've been eating lots of yellow squash and zucchini out of the garden, and while we love it sauteed in a bit of olive oil and sprinkled with herbs de provence, salt & pepper, it gets a bit tiresome.  I've made zucchini cake, zucchini soup, crustless zucchini quiche, and zucchini muffins.  I've frozen it shredded to use later and I've stirred it into my yeast bread.

Yesterday we had this new Asian noodle dish from Fine Cooking, which disguises the squash very well - they become kind of like noodles themselves in the peanut sauce.  After I dumped the shredded yellow squash and zucchini in the bowl (it calls for 2 large ones!), Z thought that it was going to be way too much and we wouldn't have enough noodles, but we agreed they kind of disappeared.  I didn't have the jalapeno and substituted srirachi to taste.  I think it would be good with chicken or tofu instead of the ground pork, but that was good, too.  Also, I found that since the zucchini lets out a lot of moisture, the sauce was too runny, so I removed the 3 Tbs. water from the original recipe.

Spicy Peanut Noodles with Ground Pork and Shredded Vegetables

Grated carrots, squash, and chopped mint balance the spicy heat of the jalapeños. For a milder dish, use only 1 chile and remove its seeds and ribs—they’re hotter than the flesh itself.

Serves 4

adapted from the recipe by Liz Pearson, from Fine Cooking Issue 110

• 1/2 lb. dried 1/4-inch-wide rice noodles (pad thai noodles)
• 1 Tbs. Asian sesame oil
• 3/4 lb. lean ground pork
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter, preferably natural
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1-1/2 Tbs. fish sauce
• 1 or 2 jalapeños, stemmed and finely chopped (seeded, if desired) or sriracha sauce
• 2 medium carrots (about 6 oz.), grated
• 2 large yellow squash or zucchini (about 1 lb.), grated
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint (reserve 2 Tbs. to garnish)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (opt.)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (opt)
• Lime wedges, for serving

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice noodles and cook, stirring often, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water; leave to drain in a colander.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tsp. of the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and ½ tsp. salt and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until just cooked through, 4 to 8 minutes; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the peanut butter, vinegar, fish sauce, and the remaining 1 tsp. sesame oil until smooth. Add the drained noodles, pork, jalapeños, carrots, squash, and all the herbs but 2 Tbs. of the mint and toss gently. Garnish with the remaining mint, and serve at room temperature with the lime wedges on the side.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 620; Fat (g): 29; Fat Calories (kcal): 260; Saturated Fat (g): 6; Protein (g): 26; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 6; Carbohydrates (g): 65; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 3; Sodium (mg): 1000; Cholesterol (mg): 50; Fiber (g): 5;

Photo: Scott Phillips

Spicy Peanut Noodles fine cooking recipe link