Whoops. Also, Sesame Noodles!

OH YEAH, my blog!

Forgive me, friends.  My only excuse is that at some point in the last few months, I’ve developed a life.

With that aside, life update: Work has been hectic but also great, and My Man (he has formally requested that I capitalize his title from now on, and who am I to deny Him?) and I have been spending lots of time with friends and family.  Highlights include an awesome wine tasting, some happy hours and potlucks, and nights snuggling by the fire watching Glee with some of our buddies.  Life has been pretty grand.

And this weekend, my parents came to visit!  We truly had the time of times, but MAN am I tired after doing the Greatest Hits of Boulder for the past few days.  However, the presence of out-of-towner company had its usual effect on me: I am so thrilled to be living here.  I love this freaking place.

Anyway, sesame noodles!  Not that every blog post has to “get to the point,” but I’ve decided that rather than the random recipe posts, I’m going to start doing a “Sunday Night Dinner” segment.  Because this was last Sunday Night’s Dinner.  Got it?

These are super easy and legitimately take 30 minutes to make (it’s a Rachael Ray recipe, so, ’nuff said).  Also, leftovers (we have established at this point that I’m big on those)!

Hot and Cold Sesame Noodles

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound spaghetti
• 1/4 cup Tamari dark soy, eyeball it (you can also use regular soy sauce if you want, but I’m a fan of Tamari)
• 1/4 rounded cup smooth peanut butter, softened in microwave 15 seconds on high
• 2 tablespoons cider or rice wine vinegar (I used rice wine)
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil, eyeball it
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 2 cups shredded cabbage and carrot mix, available in produce department – I actually didn’t include these, but I’m sure they would be good!
• 1 cup bean sprouts or pea shoots, any variety, available in produce department
• As many totally delicious sugar snap peas as you would like
• 3 scallions, chopped on an angle
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Throw some spaghetti in boiling water.  Cook it to the texture you like – some people recommend al dente for these noodles, but I don’t like them overly firm.

While you’re waiting for the pasta to be done, whip up the sesame sauce!  Wahoo.  Microwave the peanut butter for around 15 seconds, and then combine it with the Tamari and whisk your life away.  Sometimes, it will feel like they will never blend.  Trust me, friends.  They want to be together.  YOU want them to be together.  With all of those wills combined, how can it be wrong?

Add the vinegar, sesame oil, and hot sauce.  Taste.  Taste again.  If you’re cooking with anyone else, do not let them taste it, or they will hang around the kitchen like my boyfriend did going, “Is it ready yet?  What about now?  Now?  NOW?”  For your own sake and theirs, no sharing till it’s ready.  Just trust me on this one.

Once the noodles are done, throw them in the colander and run cold water over them immediately – this is called cold-shocking the noodles, and it will stop them from cooking any more due to residual heat.

When the noodles are nice and cool, THROW ‘EM IN!  Mix it around nice and good.  Yeah.  You like that.

 

Oh yes you did.  Pour those sesame noodles on and mix them around!  Pour more!  Do it again!

If your green onions and sugar snap peas aren’t chopped yet (just the ends for the snap peas), make it happen.  If you were smart and had someone else do it, or if you have very good time management and got it done while the pasta was cooking, THROW THEM ON!

If they’re starting to look pretty good, you’re probably in a good place.  Serve ’em up and sprinkle green onions and more sesame seeds on for maximum deliciousness and presentation.

Nom.

Enjoy, people!  This is a great meal to have on standby when you’re in a pinch.  Also, you don’t even have to heat it up to eat it later, so taking it to work or school is a snap!  HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!