Off the Eaten Path Musings about food and life

paper chef #46: cross-cultural vermicelli

This recipe is my entry into competition #46 of Paper Chef - the web's informal answer to Iron Chef. The premise is the same: use a set number of ingredients that may not seem to be complementary and try and make a dish from them.

This months ingredients are:

• Pasta
• Chevre
• Beets
• Peanut buttter

On first glance, these aren't exactly ingredients that scream "delicious when mixed together," but I saw it as a unique opportunity to make a fusion dish, combining Asian influences (pasta and peanut sauce) with French sensibilities (beets and chevre). In some respects, it's a layperson's "wannabe Vietnamese," and I'm fine with that.

Cross-Cultural Vermicelli

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs chunky peanut butter
• 8 tbs lite coconut milk
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced
• 1 cayenne pepper, minced
• 1/2 package Vietnamese wheat vermicelli
• 1 large handful of fall greens (I used spinach, arugula and mustard greens), rinsed and torn
• 1 small beet (any color)
• 3 oz. chevre, crumbled
• sea salt

Directions:

1. Peel and cut beet into 1 inch cubes. Line cookie sheet with foil, spray with olive oil, and place beet cubes on sheet. Spray with oil and coat with sea salt. Roast at 375 degrees until heated through and tender, about 25 minutes. When finished, remove to cool.
2. Cook pasta to package directions. Rinse and set aside to cool.
3. Combine peanut butter, coconut milk, garlic, onion and cayenne pepper in microwave-safe container. Heat incrementally on high power for 1 minute bursts until ingredients become fluid. Use fork or whisk to combine, then heat for an extra minute to allow flavors to combine.
4. Steam greens in covered pot until done (2-3 minutes). Remove from heat and drain.
5. Once beets have cooled, dice them into a fine cube (around 5 mm per side).
6. In large bowl, combine pasta and peanut sauce, mixing thoroughly to ensure complete coating of pasta with sauce. Place portions in serving bowls.
7. Place greens atop pasta with sauce. Crumble beets and chevre on top.

Serves four