“We are preparing for landing, please return your seats to the upright position and stow away your tray tables,” sang the flight attendant. HOB (husband of blogger) and I were descending onto home territory after a wonderful weekend in Central California with family, a wedding, and lots of food. After our extremely turbulent red-eye flight, these were very welcome words to hear. We arrived home and slept in a zombie-like slumber for 4-hours. Once awake, I had dinner on my mind. Not really sure what to make, I knew it had to be home-cooked, where I could control the oil, butter and lard; for two days, HOB, FOB (family of blogger) and I had thrown caution to the wind and ate our hearts out on Mexican food, wedding cuisine and more Mexican food. Alcohol was free-flowing and our spirits were merry, after all, it was a wedding weekend. But after a weekend full of indulgence, the effects were being felt. It was time to detox.
At home, HOB was craving Asian and I, still dead-tired and half asleep, didn’t want to spend hours in the kitchen so I selected an old reliable recipe: Sesame Noodles. Not exactly the most healthy, detox-friendly dish, it is nevertheless simple, delicious and doesn’t call for a ton of oil. The process is easy: make a sauce of tahini, brown sugar, sambal olek (an Asian chili sauce), and soy sauce. Set aside. Sauté sesame oil, a red bell pepper, ginger, garlic and green onions. Boil your spaghetti or soba noodles and place the drained noodles into your sauté. Pour sauce and some of the pasta water over the pasta and give everything a toss. Add some oven-roasted broccoli with garlic and chili flake, and you’re done.
Thanks to the wedding, HOB and I had come home with three bottles of wine from California and the only white was Chardonnay, a wine I wouldn’t typically select for a dish like this one. But, I’ve been surprised by unusual pairings before so I gave it a try. The Chardonnay was very fruity with juicy notes of green apple, citrus and a tartness that gave a sharp, almost effervescent quality.
In the end, I suppose it wasn’t the perfect detox dish. I think it needed several more green vegetables to qualify for that. But it was quick, savory and satisfying: the perfect post-travel dish.
Erika Martinez
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