Crunchy, satisfying, & flavorful Asian Peanut Lime Zucchini Noodles.
Here's Part 2 of How I met my Husband. In case you missed Part 1, here it is. So where were we? I met my husband back in August 2005, but we both went our separate ways and ended up on completely different paths, so how did we finally end up together 10 years later? I have one person to thank and that's Mark Zuckerburg. If it wasn't for him and Facebook, we would have never reconnected.
It was some time in August 2015 and towards the end of my workday when I received a Facebook Message from him. The message read, "Hey Nisha. I'm visiting my sister in NJ. It's been a long time, I wanted to say hi. Can we meet up?" I was pleasantly surprised.
Obviously, I didn't respond right away and made him wait a few days. 🙂 Eventually, I did respond and agreed to meet up with him in New York City. Ten years had passed, so naturally, I was curious about what was going on in his life and why he decided to contact me after all these years.
The Meeting
We decided to meet up for drinks at Lillie's located in Union Square. I was curious to see if we still had that same connection and spark that we had 10 years before. It was surreal seeing him again, he looked exactly the same, but this time I didn't fall as easily. I was older, wiser, and more guarded. We sat at the bar and talked for hours. He said it was bad timing ten years before, but he had always thought of me as "the girl that got away" from him.
The six months that followed were nothing more than small talk and texting. We had that same connection as before, but the distance was going to be an issue. It wasn't until January 2016 when everything changed, and he decided to step it up. He flew out to see me in January, and then again in February on Valentine's Day. For someone who hated snow as much as him, he showed up during the two coldest months and suffered through the Blizzard of 2016. It was then when I realized he was serious and how much he really cared for me, and so I decided to take a chance on us.
The Issue
I knew that if this progressed the major issues would not be the long-distance, but having to eventually leave behind my family, friends, and New York. Every month that passed I struggled with my decision to move. I wasn't ready to let go of everything I'd ever known. At this point, my best friend, Jhiane, asked me one simple question, "are you going to prioritize New York City over the love of your life? New York City will always be there, he won't! Not too many people get a second chance." And that's when I decided to step it up and the rest is history.
It's quite a story, isn't it? I believe things happen for a reason now more than ever. Although we ended up together, I will always wonder why our story was so short-lived ten years ago. One thing I do know is when it comes to matters of the heart, timing is everything. Ten years ago it wasn't our time, now it is. 🙂
Leaving you guys with these Peanut Lime Zucchini Noodles. Hope you love it! This recipe is:
Gluten-Free
Vegan - (omit honey and replace with coconut sugar)
Dairy-Free
Low-Carb
Healthy
Good Fats
Extremely Filling
Delicious
how to make peanut lime zucchini noodles step by step?
Peanut Lime Zucchini Noodles (healthy, gluten-free, low-carb, vegan option)
Ingredients
for the veggies
- 1 cup organic bean sprouts
- ¼ cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 cup scallions, sliced
- ¼ cup green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 cup organic carrots, shredded
- ½ tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 cup purple cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 10 ounce package zucchini noodles
- small handful fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup of peanuts, chopped
for the peanut sauce
- 2 inch piece ginger, grated
- ¼ cup organic creamy unsweetened no salt peanut butter, I love Whole Foods brand
- 3 tablespoon lite gluten-free tamari
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon siracha
- juice of 1 lime
- 1-2 tablespoon water, start with 1 tbsp, add 1 more tablespoon if need be
Instructions
- Chop and slice all the veggies... red & green bell peppers, bean sprouts, scallions, carrots and purple cabbage. Set aside.
- Grate the ginger in a bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce... peanut butter, lite tamari, honey, sesame oil, siracha, lime juice, and water.
- Use a whisk to stir well.
- Sauce is ready.
- At this time you can spiralize your zucchini noodles, I just buy mine from whole foods.
- Heat up a skillet, once hot, add avocado oil. Add the zucchini noodles and saute for a minute, toss the noodles around.
- After a minute, add 3 spoonfuls of the peanut sauce. This will coat the noodles. Cook for 1 minute or under. DO NOT OVERCOOK else the zucchini will become watery.
- Once done, here are your noodles. Turn off the stove.
- Transfer the zucchini noodles to a large mixing bowl.
- Transfer all your veggies to the mixing bowl... bell peppers, scallions, bean sprouts, carrots, and purple cabbage.
- Pour all the remaining sauce over the veggies.
- Toss gently.
- Chop fresh cilantro.
- Chop peanuts.
- Plate zucchini noodles. Garnish with cilantro and peanuts. Serve immediately.
Notes
* Hearty Option - serve with a side of brown rice or quinoa, there is enough sauce in here. This will no longer be low-carb.
Jhiane says
Love hearing this story , like a Movie . You are truly meant to be . It was kismet that you reconnected again and got married, such a blessing. Can’t wait to try this wonderful recipe , I need to eat more vegan dishes
honeywhatscooking says
Thanks Jhiane. yes, it was kismet. Hope you try it, thanks to you for pushing me to make the right decision. xoxo
ritu says
What a lovely story and what a lovely dish! Can't wait to cook it.
honeywhatscooking says
Thanks so much Ritu. I'm so glad you think so and enjoyed it.