Pineapple Coconut Noodles

You can get all the ingredients for this fast, fresh-tasting noodle dish in the Asian foods section of any well-stocked supermarket or natural foods store. Photo courtesy of the blog My Electric Ride. You can serve this as suggested in the photo with steamed broccolini or broccoli, and thinly sliced red cabbage for a dazzling effect.

Serves: 6

12 ounces Asian noodles (see Note)
1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil (like safflower or sunflower)
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
One 14.5-ounce can light coconut milk
1 ½ cups very finely chopped fresh pineapple, or one 16- to 20-ounce can
pineapple chunks, drained and finely chopped (see note)
½ to 1 teaspoon Thai red or green curry paste, more or less to taste, or Sriracha sauce to taste
1 stalk lemongrass, cut into thirds and bruised with a knife, optional
Juice of ½ to 1 lime, to taste
2 tablespoons natural granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 to 8 scallions, sliced
¼ to ½ cup minced fresh cilantro, to taste
Roasted peanut halves or crushed peanuts for garnish

Cook the noodles in plenty of rapidly simmering water until al dente, then drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a stir-fry pan. Add the garlic and sauté over low heat until golden. Add the coconut milk and pineapple, then whisk in the curry paste.

Add the lemongrass, lime juice, sugar, and salt. Add the cooked noodles to the coconut mixture, along with half the scallions and the cilantro. Remove from the heat. If you'd like a spicier dish, add small amounts of additional curry paste (dissolved in a little water) and stir in, until the effect is as spicy as you'd like.

Let stand off the heat for 5 to 10 minutes, during which time any excess coconut milk will absorb into the noodles. Serve, passing around the remaining scallions and peanuts for topping.

Notes: This tastes most authentic using flat rice noodles. Follow package directions carefully! Otherwise you can use fine rice noodles, bean thread noodles, or soba. Don't discard the juice from the pineapple can, if using canned. Combine with water or seltzer and a little lime juice for a refreshing drink.

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 308 calories; 9g fat; 9g protein; 52g carbs; 4g fiber; 510mg sodium