Use your noodle!

As I’ve mentioned in several columns, I’m admittedly a carboholic. My favorite carb by far is pasta. I don’t limit my love to just the common noodles, though. You know, spaghetti, macaroni, ziti, lasagna, etc. There are a lot of ways to tempt your palate by shopping in the Asian aisle at the grocery store, too.

So when it comes to dinner, don’t give up when you’re overwhelmed with the thought of prepping a roast or slaving over a casserole. Use that noodle and look to our carby comrads in the pasta aisle. Here are few suggestions of things you can whip up in a zippy using noodles, and your noodle.

Ramen noodles: I would wager to say that almost everyone reading this column has eaten Ramen noodles before. Come on, admit it. You know you really like them, too. My kids used to eat them for breakfast! Don’t judge me. They weren’t big breakfast eaters growing up, and I insisted that they eat something before going to school. Are they healthy? Well, not really, and they are probably one of the highest sodium-count foods around, especially if you use that magical flavoring packet. What if you toss the packet and just eat them raw? No, I don’t mean eat the brick of Ramen, but use the raw noodles in a recipe. Mix together a 12-ounce bag of broccoli slaw mix (I know Publix has it), two packages of crushed Ramen noodles without seasoning, four sliced green onions, half a cup of roasted sunflower seeds and half a cup of sliced or slivered almonds. Toss with about a cup of Asian toasted sesame salad dressing (I prefer light) to coat and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Chow mein noodles: Is there more you can do with these crunchy morsels other than toss them into a salad or into your egg drop soup? Of course there is! My mom actually made both of these when I was growing up, and I found the recipe cards. That’s a whole other story, but wow, it was like finding buried treasure looking through her recipe cards. The first one is a casserole. My dad did not eat spaghetti — if you can believe it — but he liked this. Brown 1 pound of ground beef with half a cup of chopped celery and onion. Add one can of tomato soup, 1 cup of water and one large can of chow mein noodles. Put into a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes until the noodles are soft. If you buy two cans of noodles, you can <FZ,1,0,8>also make dessert. Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 cup of butterscotch chips together — microwave works great. Add 2 cups of chow mein noodles, a pinch of salt and half a cup of your favorite chopped nuts. Drop by tablespoonful onto wax paper and let cool.

Soba noodles: These noodles are made from buckwheat flour, are about the same thickness as regular spaghetti and have a bit of a nutty flavor. Once they are cooked, they can be served hot or cold. Don’t get these noodles confused with instant noodles at the grocery store, such as yakisoba. One of my favorite things to do with soba noodles is to make a cold, Thai-style salad with peanut dressing. You can find ready-made dressing at the grocery store now if you don’t want to make your own. Toss in some julienned carrots, cucumber and chopped cilantro. A little bit of fresh jalapeno will punch up the flavor a few notches as well.

Rice noodles: They are also called vermicelli noodles and are a great alternative for people with gluten allergies. Traditionally, they are used in Pad Thai. I use them when making two of my favorite Vietnamese recipes — summer rolls and pho. Summer rolls are filled with cooked shrimp, rice noodles and plenty of fresh herbs and bean sprouts, lettuce and shredded carrots and served with a peanut sauce. Pho is a soup that has a broth with hints of anise — if it’s beef based — rice noodles, your choice of meat and finished off with bean sprouts, Thai basil, cilantro, jalapeno and hot sauce. I prefer thin slice round that cooks in the broth or meatballs. Oh my, I want some now! I will actually be making these two dishes at my cooking club this month.

Udon noodles: They are made from wheat and are thick, soft, chewy and somewhat dense. Udon noodles are pretty much flavorless, so they’re great to use in dishes in which you want to highlight the flavors of everything else. They are good to use in soups as well as curried stir fry dishes.

Shirataki noodles: These noodles are also gluten-free, almost carb-free and close to calorie-free. What!? You find them in the refrigerated or produce section of the grocery store, although, I haven’t seen them at all of our local chains. There are tofu-based noodles as well as yam-based noodles. You’ll want to rinse them several times as well as heat them slightly before adding to your recipe as there is a slight fishy smell to them. A few things I’ve used these noodles for are in lieu of pasta with your favorite sauce, stir fry, lo mein, and I have also added them into soups.

So, get out of your traditional noodle rut and experiment with some of these alternatives. Be sure to share your ideas on my Facebook page, www.facebook.com.goodfoodforeverymood.