Summatime Peanutty Noodles

I have been trying to eat colder meals lately. You know, cuz it's 5,000 degrees outside.

I also have had a real hankering for peanuts. And Thai food. For once in my cravings have aligned in a beautiful way that yields a delicious result.

I knew I wanted a Thai peanut noodle dish, and I knew I wanted to make this recipe from one of my favorite vegan bloggers. Peasandthankyou is a hilarious blog that combines funny real life anecdotes about being a mom and a healthy one at that with delicious recipes that are TOTALLY doable. Mama Pea, if you are reading this, I love you. Your blog makes me smile on a regular basis.

Just putting it out there...

Ok, things just got awkward...

Moving on.

So, I screwed up a few parts of this recipe, as could have been expected, so here's the round-up:
-Couldn't find any fire roasted tomatoes, so I just used stewed. Same thing? Not sure about that...
-My peanut butter was decidedly UN-natural. Jiffy just has to do sometimes.
-If you know me, you know I LOATHE maple syrup. Read this if you need your memory jogged. Against my better judgment, I put maple syrup in this sauce. I only used 1 teaspoon and the second I added it, I regretted it. I tasted the sauce and almost gagged. I'm sure if you are a normal human being, this would not have been an issue, but I just really can't handle even a hint of maple in savory dishes. So then I spent the next 5 minutes trying to throw anything I could into the sauce to hide the maple (mainly, rooster sauce and a whole jalapeno). The result was a VERY spicy sauce with a hint of maple. Thankfully, after it had sat out for a little bit, the maple disappeared. Lesson learned.
-I basically live in China town, so my local grocery store is awesome and has tons of Chinese staples. Unfortunately, much of the grocery store is actually IN chinese. Which has resulted in numerous fatalities, including a purchase of some authentic Chinese instant Ramen noodles that may have included Shrimp seasoning packets. Those packets are now awkwardly sitting in my cabinet...NO idea what on earth I will do with those.

All in all, this was a delicious summer meal once it had been chilled and kept very well. I'd highly recommend it, just sans maple for those maple haters out there like me.

Here's the recipe for Noodle Salad with Peanut Mmmm Sauce from www.peasandthankyou.com

Noodle Salad with Peanut Mmmm Sauce

Serves 4

Peanut Mmmm Sauce:

•1/2 c. light coconut milk
•1/2 c. fire-roasted tomatoes in juice (i.e. Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes)
•1/4 c. natural peanut butter
•3 T. reduced sodium soy sauce
•juice of 1 lime
•2 t.. minced ginger
•1 t. minced garlic
•1 T. agave or maple syrup or 1 packet of stevia
•sriracha to taste (optional)

Noodle Salad:

•8 oz. rice noodles
•1 red bell pepper, chopped
•2 c. bok choy, chopped
•2 c. edamame, frozen or fresh
•1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
•1/4 c. peanuts, chopped

For the sauce, combine coconut milk, tomatoes, peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, garlic, sweetener and sriracha, if using, in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Meanwhile, prepare rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray or a spritz of oil and place over medium high heat. Add bell pepper, bok choy and edamame and stir fry until crisp tender, about 4-5 minutes.

Add drained noodles directly to the pan.

And then add the sauce.

Toss to coat.

Serve hot immediately or refrigerate until serving and enjoy cold.

Garnish with cilantro, if desired, and peanuts