Thursday Cuisine Go Asian

Thai Peanut Noodle Salad
Cook's notes:
Add some Asian flair to your menu with the sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavors that make up Thai Peanut Noodle Salad. Top with grilled pork or pulled rotisserie chicken for a main dish.

It's packed with flavor and healthy veggies and makes a very satisfying meal. The dressing really elevates this salad to a whole new level. 

Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

Salad Ingredients:

• 8 oz. Udon noodles (vacuum packed) or linguine noodles
• chopped green onions
• chopped cilantro
• 2 limes, cut into quarters
• chopped peanuts
• a variety of veggies-1/2 cup diced red pepper,1/2 cup diced yellow pepper, 1 cup matchstick carrots, 1/2 cup diced red onion, 1 cup diced cucumbers, 2 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage, 4 cups romaine lettuce

Thai Peanut Salad Dressing

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 lime, juiced and zested
• 2- 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 T B. seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 2 TB. soy sauce
• 3 T B. honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 TB. minced ginger
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro 
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1-2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (1 is mild with a bite, 1.5 is medium, 2 is hot)
• 2-4 TB. water or chicken broth

Directions:

• Cook noodles in salted water. Drain noodles and place back in pan. Cover to keep warm. 
• If you’re not going to use noodles right away, add a drizzle of the peanut dressing and stir to coat. This will prevent the noodles from getting all clumpy. Keep dressing in the fridge until ready to use.
• Combine dressing ingredients in a blender, pour into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir and heat until warmed. Remove from heat. 
• Toss cooked noodles with dressing and divide among 4 bowls. When you’re ready to assemble the salad, place noodles, veggies, and chicken in a large bowl.Sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, chopped peanuts, and garnish each serving with a lime quarter. 
• Before eating, squeeze lime juice over noodles and stir to combine.

Cooking tip: You can add meat to this dish by stir-frying shrimp or very thinly-sliced chicken (partially freeze it first) in some olive oil with a couple cloves of garlic, some fresh ginger, some green onions, soy sauce, and a small squirt or two of Sriracha chili sauce.

Days of rain and cold have sent me searching for some color and sun. I found a place that promises warmth, pops of vibrant colors and creative displays-check out the annual Art in Bloom at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (April 28-May 1) .   

2016 Signature Design 

The Laurel Tree of Carolina (Magnolia Grandiflora) Engraved and hand-colored by Georg Dionysius Ehret; after Mark Catesby 1771