My family always loves a good stir fry. In fact, when my husband was in grad school it was his go-to (and he’d whip it up for me too on occasion) because it’s quick and easy on the wallet.
What I really love is that it’s totally customizable and a great clean out the fridge meal. You can never have the same meal twice if you wish. I love experimenting with different sauces and tonight I am trying Sesame Noodles by Pinch of Yum. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.
The original recipe states this can be served hot or cold, but since it contains cucumbers (I’m not one for warm cucumbers), I’m going for hot and substituting what I have on hand: zucchini, carrots, and asparagus.
I started by mixing up the sauce which is simply sesame paste (or tahini), water, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and garlic. The original recipe suggests adding sugar or hot sauce to taste, but it omitted both. I’m not one for spicy, must to the disappointment of my husband, and I didn’t see the need for added sugar.
I turned my Instant Pot on sauté and added sesame oil. Once it was warm, I added the chopped carrots, asparagus and let them soften. Next, I added frozen broccoli and edamame. I had a chicken breast in my fridge that was in a use it or lose it situation, so I fired up the grill, sprinkled on salt, pepper, and garlic powder and got it cooking.
While that was cooking away outside, I began making my zucchini noodles or zoodles. I have this amazing spiralizer attachment for my Kitchen Aid stand mixture that not only lets you peel and core fruit, but can also spiral cut vegetables. I have been using it to add more veggies into our diet by replacing noodles. Now, of course, I want to be healthy, but I’ve used zoodles completely in place of noodles twice (once at home and once at a restaurant) and my husband and I agree that while we think it tastes good, it doesn’t give us that satisfaction while we’re eating. Life is too short to not fully enjoy what you’re eating. So I’ve been making a ratio of 50:50 noodles to zoodles and the result is both tasty and satisfying.
After I spiraled my zoodles, I added them to the pot. They only need about 2-4 minutes to cook whether it be boiled or sauté. You want them soft, but to still retain a hint of al dente for a contrasting texture.
I mixed the noodles, zoodles, and the veggie mixture together and tossed with the sesame sauce. This sauce made more than enough for my family, so I added it a little at a time to get the perfect sauce to noodles balance. Finally, I topped the bowls with the grilled chicken and the result was delicious. My husband requested this to be put in the dinner rotation.
Ingredients
-
For the sauce
- For the stir-fry
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Cook according to package directions.
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for sesame sauce, stir to combine.
- Add sesame oil to a large saute pan on medium or turn your Instant Pot to saute setting. Once oil is hot, add chopped carrots and asparagus. Let for about 5 minutes, then add the frozen broccoli and edamame. Let cook until heated through, about 3 – 5 minutes.
- While veggies are sauteing, add noodles to the boiling water and let cook, or begin spiralizing zoodles and add to the vegetable mixture or boiling water for about 3 min, just until they begin to soften.
- Drain pasta and dish up the desired amount onto a plate and toss with a few tablespoons of the sesame sauce.
- Add veggie mixture and toss with the desired amount of sesame sauce. Serve and enjoy!
