Spicy Peanut Chicken Pasta

I’m such a sucker for peanut sauce – there’s just something about it that’s irresistible to my taste buds. So you can imagine how much I loved this Asian pasta dish with a spicy peanut sauce. The variety of vegetables gives it vibrant color and makes you feel a little healthier eating this tasty dish.

Quick tip: you can add the chopped vegetables to the cooking pasta for about 5 minutes to slightly cook them while still leaving a bit of crunch. Mix in the sauce, top with chopped cilantro, and you have a delicious meal after my own heart.

Spicy Peanut Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 cup shredded or julienne carrots
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 head of broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 cup chopped or shredded cooked chicken breast (2-3 breasts)
8 oz cooked whole grain linguine

For the dressing:
5 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp water
3 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Tbsp sesame or canola oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 small piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into small pieces
1/2 Tbsp honey
1 clove garlic
1 tsp brown sugar
1/3 cup peanuts
Sriracha sauce (a few dashes – or more to your taste)

Cilantro for garnish

Directions:
Puree all of the dressing ingredients (except peanuts) in a food processor until smooth and creamy.  Add the peanuts last and process until just finely chopped.

Cook the pasta and add the vegetables into the water for the last 5 minutes to soften them a bit. Drain and return to the pot. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Add more sriracha if you want a spicier taste. Top individual servings with fresh cilantro and enjoy!

Source: Slightly adapted from Pinch of Yum

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

These are the spicy twin to the sweet roasted chickpeas posted a few days ago – totally different flavor but equally as delicious! Again, peeling the chickpeas proved to be the longest part of the process but these were just as simple to make – you can easily tweak the spices used and make it into something you more prefer. You could mix it up with cajun flavors, Indian spices, or whatever you like and have a truly tasty and healthy snack. Enjoy!

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients:
1 can chickpeas (15 oz, aka: garbanzo beans)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Dash of cayenne pepper
Dash of sriracha sauce (optional)
Dash of salt and pepper

Yield: 2 cups

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse and drain the chickpeas and peel them if wanted. Dry them on a paper towel or kitchen towel. Combine all other ingredients in a bowl. Add the chickpeas and combine until evenly coated. Put the coated chickpeas on a lined baking sheet and bake for 25-35 minutes, until they reach your desired crispiness. Make sure to shake the pan after 15 minutes to keep them from burning on one side. Serve the chickpeas while still warm or once they’ve cooled completely. Enjoy!

Source: A Beckster original

Spicy Black Bean Soup

As a huge fan of black beans, I bookmarked this recipe in a hurry and absolutely loved the results! This soup has great flavor and is a perfect addition to any Tex-Mex inspired meal or can be a meal in itself. It’s healthy, hearty, and is a good vegetarian option with a smooth texture that can be left a little chunky if desired. This recipe makes a large portion, so be prepared to feed a crowd or have lots of tasty leftovers. Enjoy!

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
4 large jalapenos, minced
1 large shallot, minced
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp dried oregano
6 cans black beans (14.5 oz cans - 4 cans drained & rinsed, 2 cans with liquid)
3 cans vegetable broth (14 oz cans)
3/4 cups water

Directions:
In a large stock pot over medium high heat, add olive oil, onion, jalapeno, shallot, and garlic. Sauté until translucent. Add spices and mix until well combined. Cook for 3 minutes more.

Add beans, broth, and water and bring to a simmer. Simmer until soup has thickened slightly, about 40-45 minutes.

Using an immersion blender or transferring a little at a time to a blender, blend soup until smooth. (be careful using a blender with warm soup – hold the lid down tightly or let it cool)

Serve while hot with a scoop of sour cream, cilantro, or anything else your heart desires.

Source: Slightly adapted from The Novice Chef Blog

Spicy Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup

This recipe became “spicy” sausage, potato, and kale soup simply because I had a heavy hand on the heat! I bought spicy Italian sausage to give some extra kick, and then added a little too much sriracha sauce and red pepper. Oops! It tastes great, but if you’re a whimp when it comes to spice, I suggest toning it down! (use regular sausage, don’t add the sriracha, and lessen or cut the red pepper flakes)

Apparently this is just like the Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana soup, which I’ve never tried but definitely would like to taste. I wasn’t sure about the combo of ingredients ahead of time, but the flavors and creaminess of the soup really works well together. This is a perfect soup for heating you up during the current chilly weather – enjoy!

Spicy Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb spicy Italian sausage
1/2 bunch kale, washed and cut into small pieces
6 red potatoes, sliced thin
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 cups half and half
Dash of sriracha sauce
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Splash of heavy cream (optional)
Dash of salt and pepper

Directions:
Wash and cut the kale and set aside. Wash and thinly slice the potatoes. In a medium pot, boil them until tender. Drain and set aside.

Brown the italian sausage in a large pot and drain the fat. Add the red pepper flakes, oregano, sriracha sauce, broth, milk, and half and half. Simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add the potatoes, heavy cream if desired, and the kale. Simmer for another 15 minutes and serve hot.

Source: Slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Carrot Curry Soup

The spices are so bold in this soup and work perfectly with carrots. So if you can’t take some heat – I advise you scale back on the curry and cayenne! This healthy soup will definitely warm you up on a cool day and has such a nice bright color. Definitely perfect for the upcoming cool fall and winter weather!

Carrot Curry Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 whole onion, sliced
1 1/2 pounds carrots, roughly sliced
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1 pinch salt

Directions:
Preheat pot over medium high heat. Add olive oil, butter, onions, and carrots and sauté about 5 minutes, till the onions become translucent.

Pour in broth, curry, cayenne, and a pinch of kosher salt to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover and cook until carrots are very tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.

Using an immersion blender (or transferring in batches to a blender or food processor), blend soup until smooth and there are no chunks of carrots left. Adjust seasonings, if necessary. Garnish as desired and enjoy!

Source: Slightly adapted from surlykitchen on Tasty Kitchen