Cold Sesame Noodles

I know my last post was also about noodles, but I promise that you will want to give these a try, as well!

I wish I could give credit where credit is due, but I have this recipe on a typed piece of paper, with no reference to the author, so I can only say that it is not an original creation by me, although I did tweak it a bit to accommodate both my tastes and my ingredient list.

 Here is what you'll need:

1 pkg Chinese egg noodles (10 oz)(aka Lo Mein)
2 T. peanut oil
2 t. minced garlic
2 t. grated ginger
1 cucumber, peeled and julienned
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
2 t. sesame seeds (plain or toasted)
2 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced

3 T. sesame paste (or 3 T. tahini and 1 t. sesame oil)
2 T. peanut butter
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. sesame oil
2 T. rice vinegar
2 t. chili paste
2 T. sugar

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook egg noodles until al dente, or the minimum amount of time according to package instructions.  Drain immediately, rinse well with cold water, drain again.  Toss with 1 T. peanut oil and set aside.

Heat 1 T. peanut oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Gently cook the garlic and ginger until fragrant, approximately 30-40 seconds.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Place carrots in same sauce pan and saute carrots just until softened, 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Place scallions in same sauce pan and saute just until softened, 30-40 seconds.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare the sauce by combining sesame paste, peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, chili paste, and sugar.  Add 3 T. water.  Whisk until smooth.  Stir in cooked garlic and ginger.

Put noodles in large container, then add sauce, cucumbers, and carrots.  Mix well.

Cover and place in fridge until cool, 1-2 hours.

Serve in smaller bowls or dishes, sprinkling sesame seeds and a pinch of scallion on top.

Serves 4-6 and keeps well in fridge for several days.

The original recipe did not call for cooking the carrots or scallions, but I don't like the texture or taste of raw carrots and scallions in salad, so I opted to cook them lightly.

The original recipe called for smooth peanut butter, or what I call a waste of good peanut butter.  It's chunky or go home in this house.  I used super chunk, and it turned out just fine.