Spicy Thai Noodles

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Our family enjoys good Asian food.  Last night (sorry, I'm a bit slow getting this posted) Dad and I went out with Josh and Christine Anderson to an Asian restaurant in DC.  Dad and I walked across downtown DC to the restaurant (lots of fun in my "boot", sooo glad to be back in regular shoes now!) Josh and Christine rented bikes and rode there from their hotel.  Afterward, Dad and I took a taxi to the MLK Jr Memorial, which was beautiful at night.  It was a fun night!  The restaurant food was good, but not as good as one of our family's favorite places, Big Bowl.  It has become a special occasion spot for us to celebrate:  Em's Sweet 16 party, also your graduation from NPU and most recently Ty's birthday, 3 years and running.

We each have our own favorite dishes there, but we all enjoy one appetizer from their menu, the spicy peanut noodles.  The noodles are served cold and the sweetness of the peanut buttery sauce is cut with a touch of peppery hotness which is cooled with a side of shredded cucumbers and finished with a taste of cilantro.  I haven't been able to recreate their yummy version but this recipe comes pretty close.  I tried to make the noodles while Auntie Lou was in town, but our pantry was low on both peanut butter and soy sauce so the result was not so good.  Here is the recipe I have adapted for a variety of dishes both hot and cold.  It's not as good as Big Bowl's but it gives us a taste of a favorite restaurant dish at home!

Spicy Thai Noodles

Yields: 6 servings

¼	cup smooth peanut butter
2	tbsp lemon or lime juice
¼	cup soy sauce
1	tsp red pepper flakes
3	tbsp sesame oil
10	drops hot chili oil
1	pound spaghetti, linguine or other thin pasta
¾	cup olive oil
8	green onions, trimmed and cut diagonally into ½-inch pieces
⅓	cup cilantro, chopped
2	tbsp chopped peanuts

To make the sauce, whisk together until smooth the peanut butter, lemon juice and soy sauce. Then blend in the red pepper flakes, sesame oil and hot chili oil and set aside.

Cook the pasta according to package directions until done and then drain thoroughly. Toss with the olive oil. Let sit until cooled to room temperature, tossing frequently to prevent sticking and clumping. When cooled, pour the peanut mixture over the noodles and toss to coat.

Add green onions and cilantro leaves and toss to combine. Mound noodles on a platter to serve. Garnish with chopped peanuts.

The noodles are good served hot with stir fry (don't heat the sauce) or cold with chicken over a bed of lettuce with an Asian or fruity salad dressing.  Yummmy! I'm already looking forward to our next Big Bowl "celebration"!