No-Stress Meals: Peanut Sesame Noodles

This is one of my go-to weeknight recipes because it’s simple with deep flavors. It can be thrown together quickly because who doesn’t have spaghetti and peanut butter in their pantry? The crisp bell peppers take barely any effort to slice and they bring sweetness while the sprinkle of peanuts add the crunch.

Simple, repeatable recipes strip decision-making out of mealtime. Having a few go-to meals reduces mental load, frees up energy for what matters so you spend less time pleasing others and more time taking care of yourself!

Most high-functioning, overwhelmed women view cooking as drudgery and understandably so. Cooking is just another form of living under The Invisible Contracts filed under “things women have to do to please others”. I totally get that, but hear me out.

Cooking for yourself is self care. So change your mindset from “I don’t cook” to “I only cook for myself”. I dig the self-righteous attitude, don’t you?

Fierce women cook and fierce women eat carbs.

What fierce women don’t do is eat take-out and frozen meals every day because THE MENOPAUSE sends all of your shitty food choices directly to your waist where they remain despite any fervent attempts to reduce them.

As my Dad would say, “this is so good I might hurt myself”. It truly is hard to stop eating.

Print Recipe

Spicy Peanut Sesame Noodles

Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons grated ginger root (12 g)
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter (260 g)
• ½ cup soy sauce (120 ml)
• ¼ cup sherry vinegar, optional (60 ml)
• 2 tablespoons honey (30 ml)
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional (1.25 ml)
• 1 lb spaghetti (450 g)
• 1 red bell pepper (capsicum), sliced thin
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
• 2 scallions (green onions), sliced thin
• ½ cup peanuts (75 g)
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (9 g)

Directions

1. In a food processor, blender or using a bowl and a whisk, add the garlic, ginger, peanut butter, soy sauce, sherry vinegar, honey and pepper flakes. Puree or whisk until well combined and creamy.
2. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions.
3. Drain the spaghetti, return it to the pot. Add the sliced bell peppers and toss to combine. Pour over the sauce and gently stir to coat. Serve sprinkled with scallions, peanuts and sesame seeds.

Mel’s Tips

• blend in ¼ cup tahini with the peanut mixture if you have it

• substitute almond butter for peanut butter (it will be drier, adjust liquids accordingly)

• add more veggies if you like: snow peas and chopped broccoli are tasty

Before You Go

I'm building a space for women who are done performing, both at home and  in the boardroom. If you enjoyed this, I invite you to stick around and join my community of fierce women.

I encourage you to subscribe to The Fierce Weekly Edit.  Every Sunday, I write rebel wellness topics that call out the systems that keep us small and exhausted and offer small acts of non-compliance to break free (so you can find your fierce!). It will include the behind-the scenes series Tales From the River and include whatever settled my nervous system that week; a recipe, a book, a walk by the river. t's where you get to know the woman behind the brand, in the vintage RV parked next to a river.

And if you feel like leaving a comment down below, I welcome it. You might encourage or inspire another reader who is struggling and needs to know she is not alone.

Stay fierce, 

Melissa

Recipe adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten