Sesame Noodles

Cold sesame noodles are a great dish to make in the summer. It is also a great camping dish. Just make the noodles and sauce before hand- put them in one container. Then put raw veggies cut into small pieces into a second container. Mix them when you are ready to eat. This recipe came from Epicurious.

yield: Serves 4 to 6

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or white-wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar or granulated sugar, or to taste
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon Oriental sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 pound linguine or lo mein noodles
• chopped scallion and cucumber strips for garnish

Preparation

In a saucepan combine the soy sauce, the vinegar, the red pepper flakes, the brown sugar, the peanut butter, the oil, the ginger, and the broth, simmer the mixture, stirring, until it is thickened and smooth, and let it cool slightly. In a kettle of boiling salted water cook the noodles until they are al dente, drain them in a colander, and rinse them under cold water. Drain the noodles well, transfer them to a bowl, and toss them with the sauce. Serve the noodles at room temperature and garnish them with the scallion and the cucumber.

**I thought the peanut sauce was OK. I've had better. I used rice noodles. I lightly steamed broccoli and carrots. I put peanuts on top along with scallions. The dish was served slightly warmed.