Chinese Peanut Noodle Salad

[Lori]

I made this last night and really liked it.  Daughter wasn't all that keen on it, so perhaps it is a love it or hate it type thing.  It isn't a hot meal, so those of you in cold weather may not want to prepare it right now, but it was so easy and quite tasty.  A nice bit of the Chinese flavor.  We don't have many Chinese restaurants available round here.  This recipe reminded me of the Cold Noodle Salad I used to order when I lived in San Francisco.

It is from an American magazine, so the measurements are in cups and ounces.

Peanut-Noodle Salad

This recipe can be easily halved for a side dish.  Serve chilled or at room temp.  You can find soba noodles on the ethnic foods aisle at the grocery store.

2 large cucumbers

3/4 cup lite soy sauce

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter (I used smooth as crunchy is really hard to find here)

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (16 oz) package soba noodles or angle hair pasta, cooked (I used those brownish colored Suzie Wan ones)

1 (10 oz) package shredded carrots (or shred your own)

6 green onions, cut diagonally into 1-1/2 inch pieces

 

1.   Peel cucumbers: cut in half lenth-wise, removing and discarding seeds.  Cut cucumber halves into half-moon-shaped slices.

2.   Whisk together soy sauce and next seven ingredients in a large bowl; add sliced cucumbers, pasta, carrots and onions, tossing to coat.  Cover and chill 8 hours or eat immediately.

I can see how you could easily adapt the recipe to your taste, adding chopped cooked shrimp or chicken or even fresh baby spinich.

It was really good and so easy.

 

[PossumGirl]

Sounds good, Lori, but Mr. Possum won't eat it, as it contains peanut butter (or the devil food!)  He thinks peanut butter is awful, which is odd, because he does like peanuts!

PG

[Clair]

Sloghtly off topic question, but related in a way...

Can you make crunchy peanut butter (or approximation) by whizzing salted peanuts in a blender?

EDIT: answering my own question, yes you can!

How to Make Peanut Butter

[Lori]

Absolutely Clair.  I even bought the peanuts yesterday to do just that, then got lazy and didn't do it.

PG - how funny.  I know my daughter's French friends think Peanut Butter is horrid.  They tend not to like most of the American kid foods she brings back here from the States, even Pop-Tarts (which I don't like either).

Peanut Butter only recently became "findable" round here (and believe me, it isn't found often).  Now, I can even find Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice (and sometimes even the Light version).  Still have had to set aside many recipes as the ingredients cannot be found here.  This often rears its head at Holiday time.

I hope I will see fresh cranberries this season.  They were here last year, but I couldn't find them in 2004, found them in 2003.  Don't French people use Cranberries?

 

[Lori]

Clair - yes that is the recipe for homeade peanut butter .... only where can I buy the peanut oil.  I have looked at our LeClerc, Auchan, Intermarche, Carrefour and can never find it.  I remember Lidl carried it during one of their Aisan promo weeks, but I was stupid and didn't buy it.  Now, just can't find it and several of my recipes call for it.

 

[Cat]

I've never seen fresh cranberries here, but you can buy bottled ones at Leader Price.  They're good in sauces, and don't have any added sugar.  They work well for deglazing a pan (with a dash of brandy) after cooking duck breasts, in the same fashion as a green peppercorn sauce, but more gamey.

 

[Clair]

[quote user="Lori"] where can I buy the peanut oil.  I have looked at our LeClerc, Auchan, Intermarche, Carrefour and can never find it.  I remember Lidl carried it during one of their Aisan promo weeks, but I was stupid and didn't buy it.  Now, just can't find it and several of my recipes call for it.[/quote]

Isn't it "huile d'arachide"? I have not looked for it recently, but it used o be quite common in my olden days in France...

[Lori]

Yes, I thought that was it too and it may be, but it certainly doesn't have the same flavor as the peanut oils I have bought in the past.  In fact, it seems much like the sunflower oil.  I do have it in the pantry though, so I guess I will stick to it in my peanut oil recipes.

 

[PossumGirl]

Lori, I'm just on my way out to see if I can't find something useable to make cranberry sauce for Thursday!  I have found a nice blend of raisins and dried cranberries that I use in cakes and cookies, but I don't know if that will work for any type of cranberry sauce....

And, of course, no whole turkeys either until Christmas. I guess I'll just go for a boneless, skinless breast (which isn't quite the same thing).  At least I can find sweet potatoes!  And, I baked and pureed a bunch of pumpkin last week which is now in the freezer, so I can do a pumpkin pie.

PG

[Lori]

Oh you're courageous !  Still on your "cooking" binge.  Yes, I read the BLOG.

We don't do anything on Thanksgiving.  We don't know any Americans in this area, so it is just another day.  Have you thought of doing a Goose instead of a turkey breast?  If it is just the two of you, a Goose is probably too much.

Our Auchan has whole turkeys now.  I haven't been shopping for about a week now, and need to go (saw the turkeys a week ago).  I suspect I will find the cranberries at a nice veggie/fruit shop I frequent in Carpentras.  They always carry "odd" things.  They have great fresh okra too !  When I buy it, they always have to look up the code as so few people buy it.  I always laugh about that.

I think I will post a new subject as I have been perusing TONS of cooking books and magazines trying to decide what I will prepare for Xmas.  We do a big lunch (2 pm ish) meal and nothing beyond that.  Husband won't eat meats, but will make a Xmas exception for a bite of a bird (he is vegetarian, but eats egss and fish).  Daughter could live on meats alone if I allowed it.  So, what to cook? 

I will go post that subject now.

Enjoy your Thursday PG.  I'm not sure how the substitute for the cranberries will work.  If I had a little more time (and the veggie store has them), I'd post you some.  I'm sure whatever you prepare will taste yummy.

 

[PossumGirl]

So, you're the one!

As I tell people back in the States, "Here they call Thanksgiving 'Thursday!' "  Still, even if it is just for the two of us, it's  nice to keep up with our little tradition.  We actually both only like the breast meat anyway, but if you get a big one you can make soup stock with the leftovers.

I didn't go out looking yet because the weather is so yucky at the moment.  I missed the window of opportunity when it wasn't raining!  There's always tomorrow.

PG

[TWINKLE]

Thanks for the recipe Lori - I'll definately try that we love chinese food too!

I was just wondering if you'll be celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday?  I'd love to hear some stories about this American tradition - even if we are in France.  I think we talked about it in March on another thread.

[Lori]

Well, as PG noted above, she will be celebrating on Thursday.  My husband is overseas at the moment, so it is just me and my daughter.  She has school as usual and I don't normally do anything.  It happens to be my husband's birthday on Thursday too.  Too bad he isn't here for us to make a big "do" out of it.

Just another day.

To me, it never meant all that much anyway.  I know it has historical meaning, but if you ask most (and I did say most) Americans they have long since forgot all that.  Many people have big family get togethers with lots of food and drink, etc.   My family is spread all over the place so that just doesn't happen for us.

I suppose if there were other Americans in my area, I might have a get-together, but I'm on my own here.