Meet our latest obsession...creamy garlic noodles. When this recipe from a local San Francisco restaurant was published in the New York Times, I just could not resist hacking it healthier. And oh my word, the results are amazing! It still requires only a few - mostly shelf-stable - ingredients, and is ready in less than 30 minutes. I have even made the sauce ahead of time for even easier weeknight meal prep.
Garlic has been appreciated for centuries as an immune-boosting food (garlic supplements have been shown to reduce the number and severity of colds) and is associated with reducing cholesterol and lowering blood pressure, improving heart health, and possibly even preventing Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia. The sulphur compounds in garlic have also been shown to detoxify heavy metals in the body. It has even been shown in some studies to improve athletic performance and may also reduce age-related bone loss.
Hearts of palm is a vegetable harvested from the inner core of a specific variety of palm trees (usually from Costa Rica). They taste similar to artichoke with a hint of sweetness and brine. They are also rich in vitamins and minerals including in vitamin C, potassium, copper, phosphorus, and zinc, and also high in antioxidants that prevent oxidative stress.
Cashews offer a good source of healthy unsaturated fat and plant-based protein. They are also a good source of vitamins (primarily K and B6) and minerals (copper, magnesium, manganese, zinc, phosphorus, iron selenium, and thiamine). Raw cashews should be soaked before using to remove phytates (anti-nutrients that make it difficult fro the body to absorb )
All you need for this crave-worthy recipe is:
15-20 cloves garlic (about 1 large head)
1/2 jalapeno
1 small shallot
Porcini mushroom broth
Tamari or Coconut Aminos
4 hearts of palm + brine (~ 1/2 14 oz. can)
1 cup cashews, soaked 2-4 hours*
2 TB chickpea miso (or mellow white miso)
kelp granules, optional
Noodles of choice
Creamy Garlic Noodles
Serves 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
· 15-20 cloves garlic (~1 head) grated on a microplane
· 1/2 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, minced
· 1 small shallot
· 2 TB mushroom broth
· 1 TB low sodium tamari (gluten free) or coconut aminos (soy-free)
· 4 hearts of palm + brine (~ 1/2 14 oz can)
· 1 cup cashews, soaked 2-4 hours
· 2 TB chickpea miso (or mellow white miso)
· 1/2 tsp kelp granules
· 1/3 - 1/2 cup mushroom broth
· Noodles of choice for 4
· Toppings: scallions, black sesame seeds, fried garlic
Directions:
1. Boil water in a large pot and add noodles. Cook according to directions.
2. While the noodles cook, heat large saute pan. Add broth, jalapeno and shallot. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook another minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.
3. Remove from heat and cool. Add to blender with remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
4. Pour sauce in a large serving bowl and toss with noodles. Serve with optional toppings.
Ingredient Notes:
Garlic: for the deepest garlic flavor, we recommend grating peeled cloves on a microplane. If you don’t have a microplane, our second favorite method (and most commonly used), is to smash the cloves with the side of a large knife, then trim and mince finely.
Check out this article on methods to chopping garlic.
Pro-tip: save the mani-pedi for after grating garlic ;)
Mushroom Broth: To make an easy mushroom broth, simply soak 1/4 ounce dried mushrooms (porcini or shiitake are our favorites), in 2 cups clean filtered room temperature water for 4-8 hours or up to overnight in the fridge. Strain the liquid and reserve the mushrooms for another recipe (or saute with more garlic and onion and serve with your noodles!).
Alternatively, you could also use a good quality mushroom powder with 1/3 cup filtered water.
Cashews: To save time, you can also quick-soak cashews. Simply submerge raw cashews in hot (not boiling) water for 10-15 minutes. Drain and rinse before use.
Noodles: there are many directions to go here. We recommend using a gluten free noodle (for the gluten intolerant), a high-protein option (for blood sugar balance), whole food noodles (zucchini noodles, carrot noodles, etc.) using a spiralizer for minimum processing & optimum nutrition, or simply a good quality wheat noodle like this one for the most traditional version.
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