Quick summer meals are where it's at. Who wants to be spending loads of time in the kitchen when you can be out taking advantage of the season? This quick noodle dish is great hot, warm, or cold so it's versatile enough to take with you on your adventures!
The mix of vegetables listed here is what I had on hand and felt up for at the time. My only suggestions are to keep the mix of colors varied and to avoid choosing too many wet veggies. Adding tomatoes, cucumbers, or summer squash would be fine, but don't add more than one to keep your noodles from becoming soggy - and you might want to squeeze them before adding too!
This dish is a great foundation for a great picnic. Just add sliced melon (sprinkled with a little chili pepper or wrapped in proscuitto if you'd like ), something crunchy (I like sweet or spicy pretzel twists), some cookies (consider some Cherry Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies), chilled beverages of your choice, and a comfy picnic blanket. Enjoy!
Spicy Peanut Noodles
- 3-4 packets of instant ramen - seasoning packets removed (sprinkle it on popcorn - it's great)
- ¾ cup smooth peanut butter
- ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar, divided
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
- 1 (2-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 small head broccoli, chopped and lightly steamed (use any leaves, stems & flowerets)
- 3-4 turnips, sliced thinly
- ½ cup coarsely shredded carrots
- ½ cup coarsely shredded radish
- 1 cup thinly sliced cabbage
In a pot of boiling salted water, soak the ramen noodles until tender. Rinse them under cold water until cooled. Drain well and add to a very large bowl.
In a blender, puree the peanut butter with 6 tablespoons of the vinegar, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, soy sauce, water, sesame oil, crushed red pepper, ginger, and garlic. Transfer ½ cup of the peanut dressing to a bowl and toss with the noodles. Reserve the remaining sauce.
In another bowl, toss the steamed broccoli, turnips, carrots, radish, and cabbage with the remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Combine the noodles and vegetables and toss well to incorporate. If needed, add the reserved peanut sauce or serve on the side at the table.
- Yields: 4-6 servings
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes