Happy Valentine’s Day! This post has nothing to do with Valentine’s Day other than that’s when I’m writing it. Although now that I think about it, I will dedicate it to livestock animals, as this post is a recipe for a vegan dish.
Asian food is a favorite of mine and I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to recreate what I have eaten in restaurants…restaurants in China. Yes, I have been to Shanghi, China many years ago when I was working in the world of fashion. Truth be told I was terrified to go and not for the reasons one might think (there was no Corona Virus scare then either). It wasn’t fear of going thousands of miles away to a strange country by myself, it was a fear of starving. My co-workers had told me horrid stories of the food and how bad it was. I was told about monkey brains, snake and the like.
Well, I didn’t see any monkey brains on the menu but I did see snake, duck tongue and noodles. Oh yes, the noodles that were oh so good! And everything I ate was delicious, I most certainly did not starve.
This is a quick recipe that tastes great and easy to make. You can add* protein to make it more a of complete meal or serve it as a side dish, either way it is sure to please. Another great thing about this dish is that it can be served warm or cold. I like mine room temperature.
Ingredients:
1 lb noodles **see note
1/2 cup scallions or green onions, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
1 tbs sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup light soy sauce or tamari
2 tbs rice vinegar
2 tbs sesame oil
2 tsp freshly grated ginger or 1 tsp powdered
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbs peanut butter
1 tbs light brown sugar
2 tsp sriracha or chili paste (more or less to your taste)
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, julienned
Directions:
- Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain when done cooking and rinse with cold water briefly to keep them from sticking together.
- While the noodles are cooking place the remainder of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl except the cucumbers and red peppers. Mix well with whisk.
- Once the noodles are drained, toss with sauce mixture until well coated.
- Serve with red peppers, cucumbers; sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
Serves 4 as main dish, 6 as side dish.
*Add-ins can be shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, edamame, tofu, shredded chicken, etc.
**You can use just about any type of noodle: egg noodles, spaghetti, rice noodles or ramen.
Peace and good eats!