Cut the fat in almond butter noodles

(Chili-Lime Almond Butter Noodles uses whole wheat pasta which provides extra fiber. Larry Crowe photos/The Associated Press)

Summer salads make refreshing meals in the heat of things. From broccoli slaw to beet salads, there is a recipe using practically every vegetable to suit myriad tastes.

Today's Busy Cook in the Poughkeepsie Journal features recipes for summer slaws — Fennel, Pea Shoot and Green Grape Slaw, Apple and Celeriac Slaw and Beet Slaw — all made without the heavy dose of mayonnaise one might expect to find in that summer staple.

Substituting olive oil and citrus or using a soy "mayonnaise" are ways to reduce the fat in salad dressings.

Here's another way to cut back on the fat in another classic salad: cold peanut noodles, which is often made using peanut butter. This recipe from Jim Romanoff for The Associated Press uses whole wheat fettuccine instead of white pasta. The sauce is made with almond butter spiked with tangy lime juice, spicy chili-garlic sauce and minced fresh ginger.
He bumps up the nutritional value of the dish even more by adding a bag of fresh stir-fry vegetables, but you can add whatever you have on hand that is fresh from the garden or farmers market.
If you can't find the chili-garlic sauce in the Asian section of your market, substitute a few cloves of minced garlic and crushed pepper flakes to taste.

And if you're looking for a version using sesame seeds, click here for one of my favorite sauce recipes for cold noodles.

Chili-Lime Almond Butter Noodles

Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 6

1. 1/2 cup smooth almond butter
2. 2 tablespoons lime juice
3. 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
4. 1 tablespoon honey
5. 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
6. 2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce, or to taste
7. 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
8. 8 ounces whole wheat fettuccine

• 12-ounce bag fresh vegetable stir-fry blend, such as carrots, broccoli, snow peas
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the almond butter, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, chili-garlic sauce and ginger.
• Cook the pasta in the boiling water until not quite tender, about 1 1/2 minutes less than specified by the package directions. Add the vegetables and cook until the pasta and vegetables are just tender, about another 1 1/2 minutes.
• Drain the pasta, reserving 1/3 cup of the cooking water. Rinse the pasta and vegetables with cool water. Stir the reserved cooking liquid into the almond sauce, then add the pasta and vegetables. Toss well to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 191 calories; 112 calories from fat; 12 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 2 g fiber; 272 mg sodium.