Noodie Bar

If you've never tried Thai Peanut Noodles before (or Noodies! as I like to call them) you're in a for a treat! I made them today for lunch and thought I would share the love. I discovered this recipe when I was living in Scotland and they're very much comfort food to me...quite possibly because I didn't have much to do in those days but cook, otherwise I think I would have gone off the deep end of crazy. (I remember some very dark times when I made tortillas. By hand. And no, they don't sell tortilla presses in the UK. But that is another blog for another day.)

This is something I make myself when I'm in need of healthy comfort food. And yes, kids, peanut butter (if it's real peanut butter and not Jif) is good for you! This is also an excellent vegetarian dish. I think most people eat far too much meat. This is just my opinion of course, but after my parents made us go Veg for a couple of years in my teens I have come to see the light. I felt so much better! It was a life changing experience for me, even though I whined my butt off about it at the time. Not that I'm going to give up my beloved chicken or fishy. But I try not to have it more than once a day.

Another great thing about this recipe is you can add any veggies you like, so it's a good way to clean out your fridge from all those little bits of leftover produce. I like to add bean sprouts and cabbage to mine when I have them on hand. You can also substitute almond butter if you don't like peanut butter. And oooh, the fresh ground stuff from Wild Oats is heavenly. YUM!

Thai Peanut Noodles

This is a slightly sweet, slightly spicy dish with Thai inspired flavors. It can be eaten hot or cold and is a great summer dish.

Soba noodles, used in this recipe, are Japanese buckwheat noodles, and are great for vegetarians. A 2-ounce (dry) serving of soba noodles has 8 grams of protein and 12% of the RDA of dietary fiber - and no cholesterol. If you can't find Soba noodles, or are scared of things made from buckwheat, you can certainly use regular spaghetti noodles, although if you're going to go that route I highly recommend using Barilla Plus Spaghetti, which is a bit firmer and has more added nutritional value aside from being very tasty. (I can get BigScottishJerk.com and the picky wee girl to eat it, so it must be good.)

If you're not feeling vegetarian today, it's really good with grilled or soy marinated chicken. This is a great base recipe to add in things that you like!

For the sauce
4 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons water
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
crushed red pepper flakes or ground red pepper (to taste, depending on how spicy you like it)
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4 ounces cooked soba noodles or spaghetti
1/2 red bell pepper, cut in strips
1/2 cup julienned carrots
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

-Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk together completely.
-Toss cooked soba noodles (or spaghetti) with vegetables.
-Pour on sauce and toss to coat everything. Sprinkle with peanuts if desired.
-I prefer to eat this warm, right after mixing it up, but traditionally it is eaten cold. In that case, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. Just remember that the noodles will soak up a lot of the sauce while they refrigerate so they will not be as saucy as they were to start with.

Makes 4 Servings

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Noodie Tips!

-If you're going for the full Thai experience you could also garnish the noodles with a lime wedge (to squeeze over the top) and some chopped cilantro or parsley.
-Add some coconut milk to the peanut sauce if you like it a little sweeter or if you want it extra "saucy"!
-In place of the red pepper flakes use asian chili sauce (comes in those squeezy bottles in the asian section of practically every supermarket) to notch up the heat quotient if you like your food spicy. Start with less than you think you'll need because it's potent.
-Buy some chopsticks. Or better yet, pilfer a handful of them from Panda Express next time you're there. Not that I do that. *cough*