Peanut noodles

As a busy law student, I haven't had a whole lot of time to make fancy recipes. Sorry! I will get some fantastic baking done over the holidays :) I plan on making some holiday macarons or madelines to take to my relatives.

In the meantime, all I have time for is making a quick dinner at home. Many people go out to eat when they're busy, which doesn't make sense to me. I feel like it actually takes longer to eat out than make something quick at home. Especially when you artfully minimize the number of dishes you have to do, like I do.

One of my go-to recipes is peanut noodles. I made this recipe to recreate a popular dish in Taiwan. When I used to visit Taiwan, I remember getting up early and going to the marketplace to get a package of peanut noodles along with the groceries. When I got home, I would mix the peanut sauce with the egg, cucumber and carrots and savor the creamy and crunchy cold noodles. The crazy thing about Taiwan is that even a roadside cart selling cold noodles in a package has the potential for brilliance. Hopefully, when I go to Taiwan this winter, I'll get a chance to taste the real thing and take some pictures of it as well. Then I'll know if it really is as good as it is in my memory.

While this recipe is not quite the same as those delicious noodles from my memory, they are very tasty and easy to make. To top it off, this recipe is super versatile as well. You can add whatever optional ingredients you have on hand. I only had broccoli slaw and slivered carrots and egg, so I used that.

Sesame Peanut Noodles

Ingredients:

• handful of thin Asian noodles
• 3 tbsp peanut butter
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• sprinkle of red pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced (or garlic powder)
• optional: crushed peanuts, sliced thin egg pancake, julienned carrots and cucumber, thinly sliced deli meat

1. Boil noodles until done (about 10 minutes.) Remove from heat, rinse with cold water, and add some ice cubes to cool.

2. In a small bowl, mix peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, honey, garlic, and red pepper.

3. Drain noodles well and mix with the sauce. Add optional ingredients.

To make egg pancake: mix eggs in a bowl (but not too foamy, keep the bubbles to a minimum). Heat a large skillet and spray with non-stick spray or oil. Pour the egg in, tilting the pan to make a thin pancake layer. When mostly solidified, flip. Add a little salt. I like to fold the pancake in half and cut into thin slivers.