Spicy Peanut Sauce Noodles

[clevermanka]

mckitterick likes the Pad Thai at Zen Zero, and always orders a side of peanut sauce to pour over. I'm a fan of peanut sauce myself, so I don't understand why I haven't tried this before now. It came out well, although the sauce was a little too thick, IMO. All measurements are estimated.

Lydia's Spicy Peanut Sauce Noodles
1/2-3/4 c smooth peanut butter
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
2-3 T honey
2 T roasted garlic (I used the kind that comes in a jar)
1 t five-spice powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1 T rooster sauce (thai chili pepper paste stuff)
dash of True Lime powder (or use a splash of lime juice)
1/2 pkg linguine noodles
3 chicken breasts, diced into bite-sizes
1 pkg frozen broccoli

Cook chicken, adding half the roasted garlic to the chicken when it's almost done. Cook, drain, and rinse noodles. Warm broccoli. Add all to a big pot. Mix the sauce ingredients in a separate bowl. Stir until well blended (it will be lumpy), or throw it in a food processor and whir until smooth. Pour sauce over noodles, chicken, and broccoli. Serve!

This makes about six servings. Four servings if everyone is really hungry.

Comments

[akaashben.livejournal.com]

Mmmm... Zen Zero. I haven't been there in a while. Love their Massaman Curry. May have to talk to fyreseer about a trip to Lawrence for dinner.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Have you tried their Red Coconut Curry? So. Damn. Good.

Unfortunately, I'm allergic to something in it, so I can't have it anymore. But, oh, the memories!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I've very much liked the food at Thai-Siam when I've gone. I usually only go out to eat when I have a coupon, and I've never seen a coupon for them. I should keep my eyes open for one.

[akaashben.livejournal.com]

Ooh... thanks for the tip! We will definitely have to try them out! Not so much worried about the ambiance... most of the best food I've had has come from hole-in-the-wall joints.

[chronovore.livejournal.com]

Bookmarked for later abuse of my family's tastebuds.
What five spices are in five-spice powder?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Wiki article on five-spice powder here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five-spice_powder).

;-)

[chronovore.livejournal.com]

[Score 5: Informative]

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

Thanks! that looks like a great recipe. And I can skip the noodlies and it still looks pretty fine.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Actually, as I was eating it, I thought it would taste pretty fine with buckwheat or whole-wheat noodles. Do you eat those?

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

It's the wheat that I try to stay away from, but damn it's not easy.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

Orange cauliflower, however, totally rocks with any sauce on it. I found it at HyVee.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Ah. Hm. It *might* work with rice, or just up the vegetables.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

Yah, Veggies are probably what I need to eat more, lol.
I've gone off the rice for cooking at home since it's not a good choice for J.

[poincaraux.livejournal.com]

I'll have to look back at this the next time I make a peanut sauce. I usually just throw something random together. It's always good, but I'm always afraid I'll do something wrong.

FWIW, I usually make something pretty similar to what you've listed, except I don't throw in the five-spice powder, and I use real lime juice. I've never heard of True Lime powder .. how is it?

Also, I assume you mean "Huy Fong Sriracha" when you say "rooster sauce" :).

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I like the True Lime and True Lemon powders. I use them a lot in cooking and baking when the recipe doesn't call for lemon or lime juice, but I want to add the taste anyway. They don't work so well (IMO) as substitutes for juice in drinks (like tea). I can't find them here, but my mom sends them to me from Indianapolis.

Yes, this stuff. (http://www.huyfong.com/no_frames/sriracha.htm) Rooster sauce! =D

This stuff didn't taste as...well, as ethnicky as I wanted, but it was still pretty good.

[poincaraux.livejournal.com]

Heh. I combat that effect by adding more Sriracha (or just red pepper flakes) :).

I also sometimes throw in other things like random herbs from the garden (a little mint is tasty), sugar, honey, and fish sauce. I've seen recipes that include tomato paste, hoisin sauce, ginger and oil.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Honey!!! I forgot I added honey. I'll go amend the recipe. Thanks!!!!

Fish sauce and ginger would have made this so much better, I think, but I didn't have any.

[adammaker.livejournal.com]

looks lovely, will have to try making is sometime.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Please take note of the edit--I forgot I used honey in the sauce.

[theoneinblue.livejournal.com]

ooooh - thanks for posting the recipe! And by the way, thanks for the advice a while back about Indian recipes and generally doubling the seasoning amount from white-people-versions...I was looking for a saag recipe a couple of weeks ago, and when faced with the choice between a Food Network recipe and an obscure one from an Indian restaurant in Houston, I went for the latter, thinking of you - the seasoning ratio was Food Network:restaurant, 1:4, but the restaurant recipe turned out sooooo good. Now if I could only find some place that sells paneer...

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Oh! I can show you how to make paneer. It's easy. We'll do that next time you're in town!