Sesame Noodles with Cucumber and Carrots

What You'll Need:

1 package thin spaghetti (or another stringy noodle, if you prefer)

1 cup orange juice (I prefer Simply Orange, which you can buy in small bottles if you're like me and don't drink OJ on a regular basis)

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp grated, peeled fresh ginger

2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 10 oz bag shredded carrots

3 Kirby (or pickling) cucumbers, unpeeled and sliced into matchstick strips

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tbsp sesame seeds

How To Make It:

In a large pot, cook the spaghetti as the package directs. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, peanut butter, oil, ginger, sugar, and red pepper until blended as best you can (an immersion blender would work really well for this, but a whisk will work just fine.) Set the sauce aside. Place the carrots in a colander, and drain the spaghetti over the carrots. Place the pasta and carrots in a large serving bowl and add the cucumbers, green onions, and sauce. Toss everything to combine well. Sprinkle the pasta with sesame seeds, and serve!

Roasted Carrots

The simplicity of this recipe is astounding. Sometimes I roast some carrots just for the heck of it. They are so stinkin' delicious.

What You'll Need:

24 carrots or 2 small bags baby carrots

6 tbsp olive oil

2 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

4 tbsp minced fresh parsley, optional

How To Make It:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If the carrots are thick, halve them lengthwise. Otherwise, just slice them diagonally in about 1 1/2 inch slices (about baby carrot sized.) Toss the carrots in a bowl with the oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer them to a sheet pan in a single layer and roast in the oven for 20 minutes*, until a little browned and tender. Toss the carrots with the minced parsley, if using, season to taste, and serve.

*If you don't stir the carrots midway through roasting, the bottoms of them may get a little black. Picky eaters (kids) may be bothered by this. The carrots themselves are delicious and I can't imagine anyone not liking them, but if you have a picky eater, you might want to shake the pan or roll the carrots around with a spatula after about ten minutes.

Basmati Rice

I love this rice! This is adapted from a recipe by Ina Garten. It serves 8 people.

What You'll Need:

2 tbsp olive oil or unsalted butter

2 small yellow onions, chopped (if you're not an onion fan, go with just one)

2 cups long grain basmati rice

3 1/2 cups water

1 tbsp kosher salt

1/2 cup sliced scallions

2 tbsp minced fresh parsley

How To Make It:

Cook the butter or oil and onions over medium heat until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and toss to coat the grains with butter (or oil.) Add the water and salt; cover and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15-20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit uncovered for 5-10 minutes. Add the scallions and parsley and fluff with a fork.