As a wife, I’ve subscribed to some of that American myth that the “good” housewife knows how to cook healthy, bountiful, absolutely tasty meals, the kind that makes college boys come home because “no one cooks like Mom.”  However, with all of that pressure, I tend to get stage fright and make . . . nothing.  Except cookies and muffins because I seem to have a baker’s groove.  But meals are a hard one for me to manage.  Instead, I’ve gotten really good at reading cookbooks, watching the Food Network, and making yummy noises.  I mean, virtual reality’s supposed to be infiltrating our society, and this is my contribution:  virtual yummy eating while munching on bland, non-prepared food.  Plus, to be honest, I have a hard time with the criticism:  if the meal is not met with outcries of “how wonderful!  This is amazing!  I will eat it forever and ever amen!”, I deem it crappy whether or not it truly is.

But the other day, I found a yummy meal.  My first hint that it would be okay was the five star Cooking Light rating as well as the title.  Mind you, I did throw in some variations:  I had no stringy noodles, so I used penne.  I had no chili paste, so I used Crushed Red Pepper.  I don’t eat sugar, so I used Sugar Twin Brown Sugar substitute.  It was deemed good, and so I share with you.

Fettuccine and Tofu with Finger-Licking Peanut Sauce

From

This dish has endless variations: Substitute chicken, pork, or shrimp for the tofu and almost any kind of pasta for the fettuccine. Or add vegetables of your choice.

1/2  cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4  cup chunky peanut butter
1/4  cup low-sodium soy sauce
3  tablespoons brown sugar
2  tablespoons rice vinegar
2  teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2  teaspoons chile paste with garlic
4  garlic cloves, minced
8  ounces uncooked fettuccine
1  pound firm tofu, drained and cubed
1  cup (2-inch) sliced green onions
1  cup shredded carrot

Combine first 8 ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until smooth, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.Cook pasta in boiling water 8 minutes, omitting salt and fat. Add tofu, onions, and carrot; drain. Place pasta mixture in a large bowl. Add peanut butter mixture; toss gently.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 cups)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 465(29% from fat); FAT 14.5g (sat 2.3g,mono 5.3g,poly 6g); PROTEIN 23g; CHOLESTEROL 1mg; CALCIUM 174mg; SODIUM 713mg; FIBER 4.5g; IRON 9.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 60.8g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2001It was fast.  It was healthy.  It was yummy.  And now I have to come up with another good recipe:  oy.

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