this shit rocks no. 61: creamy peanut chicken noodles with chili crisp!

Plus, two incredible pantry items.

It’s been a pretty busy week for me because I started Vanderpump Rules from season 1 (for journalistic purposes, of course). I am embarrassed and ashamed to admit that it took me this long (especially because Summer House and Below Deck breathe new life into me with each new season).

I hate feeling like I am unable to be a part of the current cultural conversation, so I had no choice but to dive in to further understand the Scandoval. My inability to enjoy, invest, or mildly care about Game of Thrones, to this day, was one of the toughest pills I’ve had to swallow.

Lucky for me, VR is much easier on my dwindling attention span. I’m about to start season 2 and have no plans of turning back. Aside from reality TV, here are a few other things I’ve been into lately.

Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste

I bought this for a work project and was initially annoyed that I needed to buy it because it’s so expensive, and I have plenty of extract at home. However, I’m so glad this paste found its way into my cupboard.

Vanilla extract is not cheap, and sadly, the paste is even pricier. But holy hell, it’s so good. I think the vanilla flavor is way more pronounced in the paste, plus it leaves behind these beautiful, dark vanilla freckles in whatever you’re mixing it into. No scraping the bean pods!

I’ve already used it in glazes, cakes, and frostings, and can’t recommend it enough. There is a gallon size available on Amazon for nearly $500, but I’d recommend that you start with the 4 ounce bottle, like I did.

Freeze Dried Strawberries

While we’re on the topic of items that I needed to buy for a work project and am now fully obsessing over, let’s talk about freeze-dried strawberries. If you ate the strawberry shortcake bars from the ice cream truck as a child (or as an adult), you simply need to buy a bag of these. Nostalgia, man.

I crunched some up and added them as a topping to a cake that I made (the one I featured in last week’s sending), and they’re also so tasty in cookies, oatmeal, and on top of smoothies. They are pretty expensive considering I could probably crush a whole bag in less than 30 seconds, but you are worth every penny, my dear reader.

Do we have any freeze-dried fruit enthusiasts out there? Please tell me how you enjoy it!

Creamy Peanut Chicken Noodles with Chili Crisp

Serves: 2-4

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

This week’s recipe was born out of the simple fact that my friend, Sam (AKA the artist behind my stunning newsletter banner above), told me that her husband, Dan, sent her this old peanut chicken noodle dish of mine and asked her to make it. Therefore, they’re Dan Noodles (not to be confused with Dan Dan Noodles). I made this for a virtual cooking class during the pandemic, so I decided to give it a little refresh.

Instead of making a homemade chili garlic oil like I did for that virtual class (which is a fun activity, don’t get me wrong), we are a society of people who are no longer chained to our sofas. Instead I’m calling for store bought chili crisp because it will save you time, and this Fly by Jing one is the gift that keeps on giving (put it on eggs, toast, sandwiches, stir fries, etc). If you don’t have any crisp (sad), you can also crank up the heat with chili flakes or sriracha.

If you want to use shrimp, tofu, or tempeh in lieu of chicken, I would invite you to do so. This would also be equally creamy and delicious with tahini or almond butter. If you have some other veggies in the crisper that need to get used up, go ahead and toss them in with the peppers.

Does your significant other have a recipe request? Let me know in the comments!