Kelp Noodles with Edamame in a Creamy Butternut Squash Sauce

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How was your first week of 2012?

Mine was exactly what I wanted it to be! I worked a lot of preparing interesting articles for Modern Hippie Mag and Mind Body Green. Technostress, interview with Indigestion Guru, the creator of Colon Karma Cure, and a piece on the connection of overexercising and overeating are coming soon! Hope you had a chance to read through my last article on the Ayurvedic approach to eating dairy. I think it is a very important often misunderstood subject. So please take a look if you haven’t done so already.

Besides writing I was pretty busy experimenting in the kitchen. Amaranth became my new favorite go-to breakfast grain. So good for cold NYC days! I will share the recipes for it next week. Today I want to share another amazing recipe that was inspired by miss Detoxinista: Kelp Noodles with Edamame and Mushrooms in a ~~Dreamy~~ Creamy Butternut Squash Sauce. She used sweet potatoes to make noodles, red peppers and steamed sweet potato to make the sauce and asparagus instead of edamame. I changed it up a bit and it came up so good that I had to share with you!

This dish is gluten-free, vegan friendly, and totally worth the effort. Even my “no chicken – not a meal” boyfriend enjoyed it! Kelp noodles are available at any Asian grocery store and most health stores. They don’t really have any distinct flavor, barely any calories, and serve as a great substitute for regular noodles. They are very similar to glass noodles. Edamame was my favorite bean lately. Rich in protein and fiber, it is so easy to cook and versatile that I always keep a few bags in the freezer. Squashes are very nourishing and work great when creating warming winter dishes.

Kelp Noodles with Edamame and Mushrooms in a Creamy Butternut Squash Sauce

Ingredients for noodles:

One bag kelp noodles
1 small box of mushrooms
1 cup edamame
1 red onion
black pepper, 1 tsp turmeric, and pinch of cumin to season
1/2 tsp ghee or heat resistant oil

Directions:

Heat ghee in the skillet and add chapped onion. Sautee until it becomes soft for 3-5min.
Add sliced mushrooms and edamame. Add a little bit of warm water, cover the lid and let it sautee for 7-10min
Add kelp noodles and sprinkle all the spices. Sautee for another 5 min

Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Dreamy Cream Sauce
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup roasted or steamed butternut squash chunks (can probably use butternut squash puree, if in a hurry)
1 cup nut milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 cloves raw garlic
1 large roasted red pepper (put slices of red pepper in the oven for 20 min or buy already roasted at Whole Foods antipasto counter)
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt or Bragg’s Aminos
Chile flakes (optional)

Directions: