Source: CathyZ
CathyZ: let me speak of peanut butter: commercial stuff is made so creamy by adding a type of vegetable shortening or, in some cases, our old friend, LARD! Of course when you put this stuff on noodles it becomes a sticky, gooey mass of yuk. Using Tahini (or making your own by toasting sesame seed then whirling it in your food processor or blender with a bit of sesame oil) works better but sometimes I use half Tahini and half homemade peanut butter...your call. Anyway, the other thing I wanted to tell you is regarding the noodles: Chinese fresh water noodles, egg noodles, Tan Mein noodles or good quality semolina spaghettini will all work fine- always use dried noodles, not fresh or they will get soggy. Cook them all the way, not al dente then douse with cold water immediately and drain as much water as you can off of them. Toss them with a few tablespoons of sesame oil and chill them. The oil will sort of coat them against the dressing.
Szechuan Noodle Salad
(12 oz dry noodles)
1/3 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup tamari soy sauce
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp sugar or maple syrup
3 tbsp chili oil
10 green onions, thinly sliced
1 bunch chopped Chinese parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
3 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
3 tbsp sesame seeds
Imperial Noodle Salad
(1/2 lb dry noodles)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp water
1-1/2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1-1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili oil
1 tsp sugar
minced green onion, fresh ginger and garlic to taste
Cucumber and Noodle Salad with Sesame Sauce
(1 lb dry noodles)
4 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut diagonally into 1/8" slices
2 tsp. salt
3/4 c peanut butter
3 Tbs. soy sauce
1-1/2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1" piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tsp. chili pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. sugar
6 sliced green onions
In a bowl toss the cucumber slices with the salt and let stand for 20 minutes.
For the Peanut Sauce: In a blender or food processor blend the peanut butter, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, chili pepper flakes, sugar and 1/2 cup of water until smooth. Drain the cucumbers in the colander, rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Add to noodles. Add onions and sauce right before serving- correct seasoning and add a bit more soy sauce or sesame oil if needed.
Cold Sesame Noodles
(1/2 lb dry noodles)
3 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sherry
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp hot chili oil
1-1/2 tsp sugar
1-1/2 tsp minced ginger (I use pickled ginger)
Spicy Noodles with Sesame Sauce
1 lb dry noodles
cooked, shredded chicken from a 3 lb bird)
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 tsp minced garlic
1/3 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup sake or mirin
3 tbsp water
1-1/2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp hot chili oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds- toasted
Madame Wong's Cold Spicy Noodles
(1/2 lb dry noodles)
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 tbsp chili sauce with garlic
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
Now, just for fun, a recipe I found in Sunset and a wonderful Korean recipe I make often:
Thai Coleslaw
(no dry noodles!)
1/3 cup each rice vinegar and lime juice
1/4 cup chopped pickled ginger
2 small fresh jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and chpd.
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
1/2 tsp wasabi powder or 1 tsp paste
1 tbsp sesame seed- toasted
1 lb bok choy, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
8 cups finely slivered Savoy or green cabbage
1 small radicchio, finely slivered
In a small bowl, stir together vinegar, lime juice, pickled ginger, chilis, sesame oil, sugar, fish sauce and wasabi. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix bok choy, carrots, onion, cabbage, radicchio and vinegar mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seed. Makes 8-12 servings.
Korean Namasu
serves 6-8
3 lb. boneless and skinless chicken
4 cucumbers
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c white vinegar
1/2 c good quality soy sauce
1/4 c sesame oil
1/2 tsp. chili pepper flakes
8 green onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 Tbs. Hondashi
1 Tbs. Ajinomoto
pepper to taste
Either steam over or simmer the chicken in one can of chicken broth until done. Cool and reserve the broth for another use. Refrigerate
the chicken for at least 3 hours or overnight. Pare and halve the cucumbers lengthwise. Slice into bite-size pieces. Soak in ice water for at least 1/2 hour and drain. Add the sliced green onions to the cucumbers.
For the sauce: mix together sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili pepper flakes, garlic, Hondashi, Ajinomoto, ginger and black pepper. Just before serving, mix the chicken, cucumber and onions. Pour the sauce over all and toss.
CathyZ: let me speak of peanut butter: commercial stuff is made so creamy by adding a type of vegetable shortening or, in some cases, our old friend, LARD! Of course when you put this stuff on noodles it becomes a sticky, gooey mass of yuk. Using Tahini (or making your own by toasting sesame seed then whirling it in your food processor or blender with a bit of sesame oil) works better but sometimes I use half Tahini and half homemade peanut butter...your call. Anyway, the other thing I wanted to tell you is regarding the noodles: Chinese fresh water noodles, egg noodles, Tan Mein noodles or good quality semolina spaghettini will all work fine- always use dried noodles, not fresh or they will get soggy. Cook them all the way, not al dente then douse with cold water immediately and drain as much water as you can off of them. Toss them with a few tablespoons of sesame oil and chill them. The oil will sort of coat them against the dressing.
Szechuan Noodle Salad
(12 oz dry noodles)
1/3 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup tamari soy sauce
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp sugar or maple syrup
3 tbsp chili oil
10 green onions, thinly sliced
1 bunch chopped Chinese parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
3 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
3 tbsp sesame seeds
Imperial Noodle Salad
(1/2 lb dry noodles)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp water
1-1/2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1-1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili oil
1 tsp sugar
minced green onion, fresh ginger and garlic to taste
Cucumber and Noodle Salad with Sesame Sauce
(1 lb dry noodles)
4 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut diagonally into 1/8" slices
2 tsp. salt
3/4 c peanut butter
3 Tbs. soy sauce
1-1/2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1" piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tsp. chili pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. sugar
6 sliced green onions
In a bowl toss the cucumber slices with the salt and let stand for 20 minutes.
For the Peanut Sauce: In a blender or food processor blend the peanut butter, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, chili pepper flakes, sugar and 1/2 cup of water until smooth. Drain the cucumbers in the colander, rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Add to noodles. Add onions and sauce right before serving- correct seasoning and add a bit more soy sauce or sesame oil if needed.
Cold Sesame Noodles
(1/2 lb dry noodles)
3 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sherry
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp hot chili oil
1-1/2 tsp sugar
1-1/2 tsp minced ginger (I use pickled ginger)
Spicy Noodles with Sesame Sauce
1 lb dry noodles
cooked, shredded chicken from a 3 lb bird)
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 tsp minced garlic
1/3 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup sake or mirin
3 tbsp water
1-1/2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp hot chili oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds- toasted
Madame Wong's Cold Spicy Noodles
(1/2 lb dry noodles)
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 tbsp chili sauce with garlic
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
Now, just for fun, a recipe I found in Sunset and a wonderful Korean recipe I make often:
Thai Coleslaw
(no dry noodles!)
1/3 cup each rice vinegar and lime juice
1/4 cup chopped pickled ginger
2 small fresh jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and chpd.
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
1/2 tsp wasabi powder or 1 tsp paste
1 tbsp sesame seed- toasted
1 lb bok choy, thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
8 cups finely slivered Savoy or green cabbage
1 small radicchio, finely slivered
In a small bowl, stir together vinegar, lime juice, pickled ginger, chilis, sesame oil, sugar, fish sauce and wasabi. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix bok choy, carrots, onion, cabbage, radicchio and vinegar mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seed. Makes 8-12 servings.
Korean Namasu
serves 6-8
3 lb. boneless and skinless chicken
4 cucumbers
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c white vinegar
1/2 c good quality soy sauce
1/4 c sesame oil
1/2 tsp. chili pepper flakes
8 green onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 Tbs. Hondashi
1 Tbs. Ajinomoto
pepper to taste
Either steam over or simmer the chicken in one can of chicken broth until done. Cool and reserve the broth for another use. Refrigerate
the chicken for at least 3 hours or overnight. Pare and halve the cucumbers lengthwise. Slice into bite-size pieces. Soak in ice water for at least 1/2 hour and drain. Add the sliced green onions to the cucumbers.
For the sauce: mix together sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili pepper flakes, garlic, Hondashi, Ajinomoto, ginger and black pepper. Just before serving, mix the chicken, cucumber and onions. Pour the sauce over all and toss.
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