Say hello to one of my new go-tos…it’s gluten-free, veggie forward, AND quick as lightning to prepare. Plus it’s endlessly customizable. That makes it a winner winner, porky dinner in my book!
Why is this recipe one of my favorites? It is fast, it is easy, and usually universally liked. The best thing about this dish is that it is versatile. You can swap in whatever vegetables you have, you can dice them, chop them, slice them. You can use a different protein like ground turkey or ground chicken. I love the speed and convenience of using rice vermicelli noodles, which both rank high on my dinner priorities list.
We recently got an Aldi’s near our home. Our German exchange student Mila told us that Aldi’s is basically a store for homeless people in Germany. I don’t know if that’s actually true. But I giggle a little bit, every time I go. I love the small store that is easy and quick to navigate. I love that the carts are locked up and you have to use a quarter to get them out. I love the convenience of having prepackaged and prepared salads or produce. In this case, the matchstick carrots are what, I buy on repeat. I throw in a handful for a salad, I use ½-1 bag in a veggie stir fry but for this recipe I use the whole bag.
One thing I have noticed on this current eating journey, is that when I use coconut aminos (which are gluten free) I need to amp up the flavor somehow. Tamari is also gluten free so you can use that. So depending on which sauce you use, keep in mind you may need to add in extra flavor in another way. My take, use soy sauce for this unless you have to use an alternative.
This dish comes together really fast. I think the hardest part is preparing the vegetables, since you have to wash and slice or dice the zucchini, the pepper, and the onions. The carrots are ready to jump in the pan! The rice noodles cook in a matter of minutes with just boiling water and a little swish in the water. Make sure you save some of the cooking/soaking water to add to your sauce to thin it down. The starch in the water helps the sauce cling to everything.
One time, I successfully made this with pho noodles instead of vermicelli noodles.These are more like a fettuccine or a linguine but made out of rice. I found they held up a little better to all the stirring to get the sauce to cover. What I didn’t like as much about those is that they did need to soak for much longer.
For a while, this recipe was a weekly star in the dinner lineup. Nowadays, it’s not quite as often, but it still makes regular appearances. Next time I will try making it with almond butter or Wow butter (soy-based) to see how we feel about it. TJ, who is living at home while he does his student teaching, does not like the PB part and technically I should not be eating peanuts as part of my food restrictions for the moment. Peanuts, broccoli, chocolate, coffee, and hops are all off the lsit too. Since I don’t drink coffee or beer, that part is easy. Unfortunately, broccoli and celery are pretty high on my likes list so it’s a bit more challenging. But as long as I can find some other winning recipes like this one, my brief breakup with those 2 green veggies will be doable. Because this dish is so versatile, you could sub in a bag of coleslaw mix and maybe some onions or a handful of snap peas and make do with that. Personally, I like the little slivers of pepper and zucchini and carrots. Since I don’t cook them for very long they keep a bit of their crunch.
The moral of this Porky PB story is make it how you like it. Use my recipe as your jumping off point. Stick with what you have on hand or go our on a limb and try a different combo. My son in law Stetson really likes this dish and said the leftovers were amazing. That is always a plus in my book.
Real food. Real Kitchens. Real love.–The Food Civilian
Porky PB noodles
Ingredients
Cook together in large pan:
- 1 TBS Neutral oil avocado is my go-to
- 1 pound ground pork ground chicken or turkey would work too
- Salt & pepper to taste. Or wait until everything is all together and adjust seasonings before serving.
Slice or dice the following and add to the pan once pork is cooked:
- 1-2 whole zucchini sliced, cubed, dice. Your preference.
- 1 whole bell pepper, any color see note above
- 1 8oz bag shredded carrots can shred by hand, if you want
For sauce, whisk together the following in a glass measuring cup & add once protein & veggies are cooked:
- ¼ c coconut aminos or tamari If you are not gluten-free, use soy sauce
- ¼ c creamy peanut butter
- 1 squirt Sriracha optional
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil or more
- 3-6 whole garlic cloves, minced can sub in garlic cubes frozen–Trader Joes’s are my faves. Also comes in a tube or a jar preminced, your fave will work perfectly
- 3-6 cubes frozen ginger cubes see above note
For rice noodles, add enough boiling water to cover:
- 2-3 bundles vermicelli rice noodles
For serving:
- 3-4 green onions, sliced green & white parts
- sprinkle black sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Reserve a little of the soaking/cooking water from the noodles in case you need to thin down your sauce.
- Drain the noodles.
- Swirl them into the pan with the pork, sauce, and veggies to coat them all.
Making this tonight for my husband’s birthday meal at his request after it was such a hit last time! We use soy sauce and it works great in this recipe.
Soy sauce is really the best but for some with gluten or sodium issues, coconut aminos or tamari offers a solid alternative. So glad Stets loves this new recipe. We eat it on the regular these days…try it with almond butter and the wide, flat (pho) noodles or linguine and see if you like it even better!