Cold Peanut Noodles

Pam sent me a recipe for peanuty miso soup last night, which I plan to try soon. But in the meantime, it really reminded of of my favorite at-home cold noodle recipe. This recipe is really easy to make, and you can vary it to suit your personal taste.

Basically, you need a blend of hoisin sauce, peanut butter, lime juice, and sugar. The rest is up to you, but here are some guidelines for two people:

• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (if you use crunchy, you don't need to have extra peanuts)
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• juice of half a lime (about two tablespoons)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• a teaspoon of chili oil, a dash of cayenne, and/or half a chopped up red chili
• cooked noodles, chilled in ice water and drained. I used Northern Chinese style white wheat noodles, but soba or even thin pasta would work.
• mixed greens, shredded carrots, shredded cucumbers, bean sprouts, and/or any other vegetables you like
• sesame seeds
• crushed peanuts

Whisk together the ingredients up to and including the chili oil, and pour over enough noodles for two people. Toss with the greens, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and crushed peanuts.