Easy Meatless Monday Recipe - Spicy Coconut Noodles

Living in Portland, I don't cook as much as I used to. There's so much great, affordable vegan food here, and I have such a crummy little kitchen, I'm just not feeling the recipe-inventing love. However,  a lot of you ask me for easy vegan recipes to either help you get started on a plant-based path, or add variety to your already-vegan diet. I'm happy to help with that! A little research turns up hundreds of great, simple plant-based recipes. I know you don't have a lot of time to filter through all that, so I'll dig around for recipes that look like something I'd like to try in my minimal kitchen, and share them with you here. Hope it helps! Enjoy!

Spicy Coconut Noodles
from RealSimple.com

Here's what you'll need to have on hand:

rice noodles or fettuccine
unsweetened coconut milk
tomato paste
chili powder
kosher salt
chili paste or sauce (optional)
scallions, thinly sliced
bean sprouts
basil leaves, whole or torn
shredded coconut, toasted (optional)

Look good? I think so too!

Find the complete recipe at RealSimple.com.

I made it, and yes, it's good! To keep it simple, I first cooked a whole package (14 oz) of Thai Kitchen rice noodles in my large pot, according to package directions. While they cooked, I did the little bit of chopping required - scallions and basil - and assembled the other ingredients for the sauce. I had toasted some coconut earlier in the day, and it was a nice addition!

Once the noodles were done, I left them to drain in a colander and made the sauce in the same pot. I added a little tamari to the recipe, and next time I'll substitute peanut butter for some or all of the tomato paste. I stirred some of the bean sprouts, scallions, and basil into the sauce, then added the noodles. There was plenty of sauce for all those noodles.

It was delicious and quick to make. Yes, I'll make it again!