Korean Noodles, a weeknight winner

Korean Noodles | In less than 30 minutes, a vegetarian meal that is full of flavor and delivers healthy benefits. Real food deliciously! www.LiveBest.info

Korean noodles are full of flavors and foods that deliver healthy benefits such as probiotics. A vegetarian spicy noodle bowl in less than 30 minutes.

With cold and flu season upon us, the best defense may be good gut health. Since much of our immune health begins in the gut, this recipe is about bolstering gut health. 

What is Gut Health?

This is one hot topic! The National Institutes of Health is conducting a Human Microbiome Project to examine the role gut bacteria plays on health and disease. It’s not yet well understood, but research suggests that bacteria may play a role in developing diabetes, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, allergies and rheumatoid arthritis.

What is Microbiome?

Each of us has a different mix of bacteria, which in turn influences our health. Food choices, physical activity, lifestyle, environmental factors, and even the way you were born, impact a person’s microbiota which make up the microbiome. Essential for health, they produce vitamins, break down food into the nutrients we need, teach our immune system how to recognize invaders and produce compounds that help fight off disease-causing bacteria.

What are Probiotic foods?

Here’s where food comes in. Probiotic foods have “good” bacteria that help keep a healthy balance in your gut. Specifically, foods rich in fiber and plant compounds (the following links take you to more recipes) such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes (split peas, black beans, pinto beans, and lentils) satisfy the gut bacteria. Fermented foods and those with live, active cultures such as yogurt, kefir, miso, kimchi, and unpasteurized sauerkraut and pickles (found in the refrigerated section at the grocery store) contain beneficial bacteria which helps keep the gut healthy.

High Five Fiber Challenge

Because these foods are so valuable in helping you livebest, I created a free, 5-day challenge you can join by clicking this link. You’ll get tips and tools, resources and recipes to create your own roadmap to meet your fiber goals. Don’t ya? Won’t ya? Seriously, it’s only 5 days đŸ˜‰

Korean Noodles delivers some of the goods.

2 bowls of Korean Noodles

Korean Noodles

How to make Korean Noodles

This isn’t “pasta as usual.” The flavors are robust and the ingredients feed your gut bacteria.

  • It’s full of dark green, leafy vegetables. A type many of us fall short on, these are powerful vegetables with potassium, folate, fiber, and carotenoids that help with cancer protection.
  • In less than 30 minutes and one cooking pot, you have a meal that is full of flavor and delivers healthy benefits.

While the pasts is cooking, heat the ginger, garlic, and onions, add peanut butter and chile paste. Wilt the greens and season with soy sauce. Toss it all together.

The ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons chile paste or gochujang
  • 2 tablespoons raisins
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 16 ounces dark greens, such as kale, spinach, Swiss chard (can be a combination)
  • 8-ounces linguini
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Maximize the health benefits of garlic

Chop garlic 10 minutes before cooking. Allicin is the ingredient in garlic that’s responsible for garlic’s flavor and health benefits. But it’s shy. Allicin only becomes available when a protein and a heat-sensitive enzyme are released. Cutting (or pressing or chopping) garlic triggers the reaction. This is also what gives garlic it’s flavor and aroma and why it’s sometimes called the “stinking rose.” Just 10 minutes without heat allows the components time to reach their potential.

How to store garlic, fresh ginger, sesame seeds and sesame oil

  • Garlic Choose a fresh bulb. The paper should be tight, not dry, frayed or shedding. A green sprout can indicate age. Store it in a dry, ventilated area. I use a fabric lined basket.
  • Ginger Fresh ginger should look, well, fresh, not wrinkled and shriveled. It can be stored in the refrigerator or frozen in an air-tight container. I usually peel before using, though ginger with light skin may not need peeled.
  • Sesame Seeds Store sesame seeds in the fridge or freezer.
  • Sesame Oil Store oil in the fridge to keep it fresh. Remove 15-30 minutes before using.

Leftover pasta? Repurpose it with eggs and cheese.

Here are more healthy foods that feed those gut bacteria:

P.S. Hungry for more healthy living tips and recipes? Sign up for my newsletter here.

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bowl of noodles and spinach with chopsticks

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Korean Gochujang Noodles

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Korean Noodles isn’t “pasta as usual!” In less than 30 minutes, robust flavors with good-for-you foods.

  • Author: Judy Barbe
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: stove
  • Cuisine: Korean

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons chile paste or gochujang
  • 2 tablespoons raisins
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 16 ounces dark greens, such as kale, spinach, Swiss chard (can be a combination)
  • 8-ounces linguini
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Instructions

  • Chop: ginger, garlic and green onions, set aside. In a small bowl combine soy sauce and sugar. Set aside
  • Noodles: Cook linguini according to package instructions, minus 2 minutes. You want to undercook the pasta here because you’ll cook it more later. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water – add raisins to the 1/2 cup water, set aside.
  • Sauce: Using the large pot that the pasta was cooked in, over medium heat, heat 2 teaspoons canola oil. Add garlic, ginger and green onions, cook 3 minutes to soften. Add peanut butter and chile, cook 2 minutes. Add greens, stirring constantly, cook until about a third of the greens are softened. Add soy sauce mixture, pasta, raisins and water. Drizzle with sesame oil. Stir together. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Notes

Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir occasionally. ? Watch them closely, they are small so can burn before you know it! You should smell a toasted aroma when the seeds are finished. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Store your sesame seeds in the freezer and sesame oil in the fridge.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 cups
  • Calories: 510

 

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Korean Noodles | In less than 30 minutes, a vegetarian meal that is full of flavor and delivers healthy benefits. Real food deliciously! www.LiveBest.info

Comments

  1. Great ideas for storing garlic and your recipe sounds yummy. Should I put my Chili oil in the fridge for storage?

    1. Author

      Thanks, Deb! Chile oil can be stored in a cool, dry place. So a cupboard away from the stove is OK. I store mine in the fridge to lengthen storage life.

  2. Pingback: Fiber; it’s a Superhero! – Tillamook County Wellness

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