Peanut Soy Noods
I honestly thought when all of this started that I would beable to develop a bunch of recipes and write a ton on evenings and weekends nowthat there was more time and only so much I could really binge watch. But for afew reasons, the days passed by without much motivation to do anything in this space.
First, I find it difficult to concentrate on much exceptwork. My day job that is. I can buckle down easily with those tasks. But in theoff-hours, my mind wanders a lot which makes it hard to really write anythingmeaningful. It’s the same reason I can’t read any nonfiction or literatureright now. I’ve been devouring novels, but I can only follow a plot if it’s verystrong with a fast pace. Easy-beach-read types.
Second, it’s a bit daunting to think about what would beuseful or welcome for you all. In this time of frenetic yet depressing energy, whatwould you really find meaningful? There is so much content being thrown at youin all directions. Not all of it is exactly hunky dory. But easy fluff stuffjust seems a little stressful to add to the pile.
And third, it seems almost useless to provide you withrecipes while pantries everywhere a little limited. Grocery store trips are hazardous,and shelves aren’t exactly stocked once you get there, so yeah. Useless.
But this recipe is a pantry winner. And it’s meant to be alittle refuge in the drudge of the right now. Bright, spicy, salty, and alittle sweet, this will definitely make your day a little brighter. And nostress. Substitutions are welcome and expected. Hopefully, this will help youas we ride out the (let’s cross our fingers) last days of shelter-in-place.
I think a science tidbit right now would be a little too much because we’re all just getting by. So I’ll just jump straight to the recipe. But if you want to geek out a bit, take a look at this one. It tells you all about how vegetables rot in your fridge. A luxury you probably don’t have right now, but it’s some gnarly details that are fun to read. It’s also another flexible recipe with ramen, so take a peek there too.
This guy is based on Thai peanut takeout noodles. That’s agenerous comparison, but cut me a little slack here. There are a bunch ofrecipe notes on how you can make this work for you and your kitchen. It’sbasically a peanut sauce with soy sauce for salt, lime for acidity, srirachafor heat, and ginger for flavor, all served over noodles with carrots and greenonions for crunch and freshness. In my experience, commercial peanut butter(think Jif, Skippy) works best. Save the natural stuff for your toast.
Hang in there friends!
Peanut Soy Noods
This recipe is perfect in my mind for when your freshfoodstuffs are stressed. This relies heavily on your pantry stables. Substitutewhatever ingredients you have on-hand. The spicy component could be any hotsauce you have. The noodles can be anything, whole wheat spaghetti, ricenoodles, ramen noodles, fettuccine, etc. For toppings, use whatever. I had babycarrots that I peeled with a vegetable peeler to make long slivers. If you havecucumbers, it would be even more perfect. Cilantro is a welcome addition, butif you have any fresh herb, it will work. Mint, Thai basil, parsley, basil, etc.will make it taste fresher. Other inclusions like broccoli, water chestnuts,pea pods, edamame, bell peppers, etc. are perfect if you have them. Greenonions or slivered garlic are great here as well. Whatever you’ve got. Bring it!
Serves 2-3 (or 1 with leftovers if you’re responsiblysocially distancing alone in your apartment!)
Adapted from here
7-8 oz noodles of your choice (see above)
½ cup peanut butter
¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
Juice from one lime or 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, orother acid in your pantry
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons Sriracha or other hot pepper sauce like Tabasco,Gojuchang, or something similar
1 ½ tablespoons agave, honey, simple syrup, or other sweeteneron-hand
1 teaspoon minced chopped ginger or ginger paste
⅓ cup hot water
Toppings (optional depending on your pantry situation, see above)
Carrots
Cilantro, or other assorted fresh herbs
Sesame seeds
Green onions
Additional hot sauce or pepper flakes if you want more heat
Etc. Etc.
- Boil the noodles of your choice in a pot ofboiling salt water. Cook until the pasta is al dente. When finished cooking, drainthe pasta. Retain ⅓ cup of the pasta water. Run cold water over the noodlesto cool them down and prevent them from cooking. I like to add a few ice cubesto the noodles to get them really cold.
- Add the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice,sesame oil, sriracha, sweetener, ginger, and retained pasta water to a bigbowl. (For simplicity sake, I like to use the boiling water from the pasta forthe water to add to the sauce) Whisk together until smooth.
- Prepare toppings if you have them available. Ihad carrots, green onions, sesame seeds, and some cilantro barely hanging on inmy fridge. See notes above on how to prep them.
- Dry the noodles slightly on paper towels andremove any excess water. If you’re using rice noodles, they may be really dryand sticking together. For these, add a bit of sesame oil or soy sauce toloosen them up.
- Put the noodles in the bowl with the sauce andtoppings and toss together. Serve and enjoy!
- These noodles keep well in the fridge. If you’reserving them as leftovers and want to break the monotony of the same meal overand over, they’re an excellent accompaniment with stir fry or a simple greensalad with lime vinaigrette.
