this week in our kitchen: tahini noodles with roasted chickpeas and carrots

What did we love about this recipe? EVERYTHING. And, while I’ll give the most credit to the recipe itself, I believe the use of fresh, local peanut butter and honey made it that much better (not to mention carrots, cucumbers and radishes from the farmers market). Also, the roasting of the carrots and chickpeas added a bit of a prelude to fall — which is always welcomed by me.

For my vegetarian friends, enjoy this recipe as-is. Vegans can easily substitute agave or sugar for honey. And, not that this dish needs any more talking up, but it’s super yummy warm but also enjoyable cold as next-day leftovers.

TAHINI NOODLES WITH ROASTED CHICKPEAS AND CARROTS

Total time: 25 minutes / Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 cup chickpeas (canned), drained and rinsed
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 ounces soba noodles (can use whole wheat or brown rice)
• 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
• 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• lime slices, for serving
• sea salt
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter (we used a local
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon sriracha
• 2 tablespoons warm water, more as needed
• ¼ teaspoon honey (for vegan recipe, use a pinch of sugar or agave)
• sea salt
• 1 tablespoon tahini

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Place the carrots and chickpeas on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender but still have a bite.
3. Make the sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the tahini, peanut butter, olive oil, garlic, lime juice, rice vinegar, sriracha, water, and a pinch of salt. Taste and if it’s a little bitter, add the honey, if desired. Season to taste with more salt or sriracha. If necessary, add more water until the sauce is a drizzle-able consistency.
4. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Prepare the noodles according to the instructions on the package, cooking until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water.
5. In a large bowl, toss the noodles with a generous scoop of the sauce. Add the cucumber, radishes, greens, carrots, chickpeas, and hemp seeds and toss with the rest of the sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with lime slices on the side.
6. Enjoy!