Helloooo everyone and happy Monday! As you guys know, I really enjoy cooking and once or twice a week I like to make dinner at home. This past weekend I made one of my all time favorite recipes that I just had to share – it’s that good. If you’re a fan of unique, bold, and slightly spicy dishes then you’re going to love my Peanut Noodles! This recipe is directly from the Quick Vegetarian Pleasures cookbook by Jeanne Lemlin and if you can get your hands on a copy then I urge you to do so! It’s an excellent cookbook for fast and healthy vegetarian eating. Here’s the step by step guide to making a Peanut Noodle dish of your own:

       Ingredients:

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 4 tablespoons oriental sesame oil
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (I use crunchy PB but creamy will do, too!)
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or sherry
• 1 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar or other vinegar
• 1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (I use 6)
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• Note: The sauce is a bit too bitter for my liking so I add about 3 teaspoons of white sugar to balance it out

Directions:

• To make the sauce, combine 2 tablespoons of sesame oil with all of the other ingredients except the cucumber and scallions. Beat until well mixed and refrigerate.
• Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the noodles and toss with the remaining two tablespoons of sesame oil.
• This dish can be served hot or cold so you could refrigerate the noodles if you choose or eat it hot after the spaghetti is cooked. I prefer it hot but it’s still very good cold as well!

My mom started making this recipe forever ago and it remains one of my favorites to this day. I made the Peanut Noodles this past Friday and was left with only a small dish of leftovers which I annihilated for lunch the next day. Almost everyone in my family is a big fan of this recipe and I hope you guys enjoy it too! It’s a quick and easy dish to whip together but it tastes like you spent hours cooking it. Peanut Noodles have been my go to dinner to make for a few boyfriends and many a night when there seems to be “nothing to eat” in the house. If you like trying out somewhat “different” recipes to change things up at home then this is the recipe for you!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Really Good Recipe Edition. Once again, if you can snag a copy of Quick Vegetarian Pleasures – DO IT!! Who is going to give the Peanut Noodles recipe a try? What is one of your go to dishes to make at home? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah