Asian Peanut Noodle Salad

For this recipe we used a couple vegetables that looked great at the farmer’s market, but there is a lot of flexibility and you can improvise very easily with this recipe. We also used tofu for a vegan version, but are sure this dish would taste great with grilled chicken or beef.

Barbara Tropp’s Spicy Szechuan Peanut Sauce

(maybe it should be called “totally addictive garlicky peanut sauce”)

10 large peeled cloves of garlic

2/3 bunch of fresh cilantro leaves and upper stems

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup + 1 tbsp regular soy sauce

5 tbsp sugar

½ tsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1-2 tbsp hot chili oil (or to taste) – (we used sriracha, because it was on hand)

Mince the garlic and coriander in a food processor. Add remaining ingredients and process for about one minute.

Go easy on the chili – you can always add more.

Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.

Noodle Salad

1 pkg Barilla Whole Grain Pasta (can use regular pasta or soba noodles as well)

½ of a shredded savoy cabbage

2 julienne cut carrots

1 ½ cup sugar snap

½ pkg tofu

2 sliced green onions to top

Begin boiling water for pasta while preparing the vegetables. Slice carrots and remove the ends of the peas. Halve cabbage and remove core (hard white area). Cut ribbons from remaining cabbage. Cut tofu into 1 inch cubes.

Boil pasta, just before pasta is fully cooked (literally, right before you drain it), drop in peas and carrots into the same pot to blanch. Drain immediately into colander and rinse with cold water. Vegetables should still be crisp but not quite raw. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in sauce according to your liking. Top with sliced green onion or sesame seeds. Voila!

Some alternative vegetables: Napa Cabbage, Green Cabbage, Red Pepper, Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Mushrooms, Asparagus