Sesame Noodles with Asparagus & Scallions [Clean Eating]

What is Clean Eating? Clean eating is consuming food in its most natural state, or as close to it as possible. It is not a diet; it's a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to an improved life - one meal at a time.
 
Why should you eat clean?  Here are three good reasons to start eating clean:

1. 80% of what you look like is due to what you are eating. Eating clean will increase the your chances of losing weight. 
2. Two thirds of all US adults are overweight. By eating clean, you eliminate fattening fast food, processed food, and too much sugar. 
3. 1 in 3 people will develop cancer in their lifetime. It is estimated that up to half of all cancer cases could be avoided if people made changes to their lifestyle. Clean eating eliminates man made chemicals and replaces them with healthy, natural REAL food. 

Try changing your eating habits one meal at a time. Sesame Noodles with Asparagus & Scallions is the perfect meal or side dish to start with. A nutty savory sauce is combined with pasta noodles. The asparagus adds a nice crunch while the red pepper and scallions establish the right amount of spice. This dish is so indulgent and satisfying, you will forget that it is actually good for you.

Clean eating calls for unprocessed ingredients, which you may be unfamiliar with. For this recipe, you will need raw honey, sea salt, and tahini. I was able to find all three of these ingredients at my local grocery store, but I do happen to live in a highly populated urban city. Otherwise, try a health food store, such as Whole Foods.

Raw Honey: The concentrated nectar of flowers that comes straight from the extractor; it is the only unheated, pure, unpasteurized, unprocessed honey

Sea Salt: Salt produced from the evaporation of seawater.

Tahini: A paste made from ground, hulled sesame seeds

I will be adding more clean eating recipes to this blog. So be sure to click join this site, if you are interested in receiving updates on more delicious and satisfying clean meal recipes.

Sesame Noodles with Asparagus & Scallions

Adapted from The Best of Clean Eating 2

Serves 4 (1 ½ cup serving), Hands-on time: 15 minutes. Total time; 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon tahini 
• 1 tablespoon organic sesame oil 
• 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 
• 2 teaspoon raw honey 
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper 
• ½ teaspoon sea salt 
• 8 oz whole wheat or multi grain spaghetti 
• 1 bunch (approximately 20 spears) asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch pieces 
• ½ cup thinly sliced scallion 
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, prepare sesame dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, oil, vinegar, 2 tablespoon water, honey, crushed red pepper and salt; set aside. 
2. Add spaghetti to boiling water and cook until all dente, according to package directions; drain. 
3. While pasta is cooking, add about 2 inches of water to another saucepan, and then fit with a steamer basket. Bring water to a boil. Add asparagus to basket and steam just until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. 
4. In a large bowl, add spaghetti, asparagus, scallions, and sesame dressing; toss to combine. Sprinkle noodles with sesame seeds. Serve warm or chilled. Do not reheat chilled noodles. 

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 538 g

Amount Per Serving
Calories 171
Calories from Fat 84
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9.3g
Saturated Fat 1.3g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 288mg
Total Carbohydrates 18.6
Dietary Fiber 7.4g
Sugars 7.2g
Protein 9.2g

Vitamin A 67%•Vitamin C 43%Calcium 13%•Iron 22%
Nutrition Grade A
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet