cold noodles with peanut sauce, scallions, and faux chicken.

photos by me.

It was quite hot this weekend here in Portland. It can be quite unbearable when it gets hot here since most of the houses are old (such as ours, built over a century ago) and are not equipped with air conditioning. This can be quite a problem for someone like myself who usually has the oven on and enjoys spending her evenings baking in the kitchen.

On Saturday evening, when the inside temperature of the house was 86 degrees, I decided to search for a good cold dinner recipe. I was happy to come across a recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance for cold noodles with peanut sauce that sounded perfect for the hot evening. So I took a walk down to the local market, bought some missing ingredients, and got started on this nice summertime dinner. The recipe has been changed a bit, mainly to suit what I had on hand.

Note: This recipe can be made with any kind of protein that you prefer. Seitan, tempeh, tofu, chicken, beef, etc. Also, feel free to change the vegetables and add whatever you would like. It is a pretty versatile recipe.





Cold Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Faux Chicken: adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance

Ingredients:

FOR THE PEANUT SAUCE
2 teaspoons peanut oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2/3 cup smooth all-natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Asian chile sauce (availble in the Asian section of most grocery stores; hot sauce is an okay substitution)

FOR THE FAUX CHICKEN
1 pound seitan (2 cups) sliced into thin strips (I used a package of LightLife Smart Strips, which I always love)
1 tablespoon peanut or sesame oil
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons soy sauce

TO SERVE
10 ounces noodles (udon or soba work well)
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds (optional)
2 cups steamed broccoli florets
4 cups mung bean sprouts
1 cup scallions, chopped
Several lime wedges for serving

Directions:

Make the peanut sauce:
In a small saucepan, saute the garlic and ginger in peanut oil over low-medium heat. Add the water, soy sauce, and coriander and bring to a boil. Add the peanut butter and turn the heat to low. Whisk well until the peanut butter and oil are combined. Mix in the maple syrup, vinegar, and chile sauce. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Make the noodles:
Meanwhile, prepare your noodles according to the package directions. When noodles have cooked, drain them in a colander and rinse them under cold water until they are cool to the touch. Let them rest in the colander and prepare the seitan (or your other protein).
Saute the seitan slices in the peanut oil for 5 minutes on each side or until the seitan is browned. Then saute with the garlic for a minute, sprinkle with the soy sauce, and saute again for 30 seconds or so.
At this point, your peanut sauce should be at room temperature. Give the noodles a final rinse under cold water to make them cold and also to keep them from sticking together.

To Serve:
To serve, place the noodles on a large platter. Pour the peanut sauce over the noodles, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Scatter the broccoli and bean sprouts on top, followed by the scallions. Place the warm seitan or meat on top and place lime wedges around the circumference.