Monday, June 21, 2010

my latest food crush



This is now officially my favorite summer recipe, thanks to Suki! Everyone loved-loved-loved this deliciously cool dish. Since I have a couple of grown sons wondering randomly in and out of the manor, I made a large double batch and added some chicken, and left the bottle of hot sauce on the table. It didn't last 24 hours.

Cold Szechuan Noodles

1 pound noodles, fresh Chinese or spaghetti/linguine
4 TBS tamari soy sauce
4 TBS oriental sesame oil (I used peanut sauce)
1 TBS Chinese rice vinegar
1 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp chili oil (I used Sriracha hot chili sauce, the bottle with the rooster)
1 red bell pepper, cored and shredded (I julienned them)
3 scallions, thinly sliced (I halved them, cut diagonal 1 1/2 inch slices)
2 carrots, grated
garnish with a scallion branch

(I also added sauteed sliced shiitakis and sliced cooked chicken.)

Cook noodles al dente. Drain. Drop into a large bowl.

Mix 3 TBS soy sauce, 3 TBS sesame oil and the vinegar, sugar and chili oil in a small bowl. Pour onto noodles. Toss noodles with tongs to coat them. Marinate 2 hours or more, tossing occasionally. Cover and chill noodles, if they are prepared more than 4 hours in advance.

If noodles have been chilled, bring them to room temperature before serving. Mix remaining soy sauce and sesame oil and pour over noodles. Stir in red peppers, scallions and grated carrots and serve. Yum. A. Licious.

54 comments:

  1. The great thing about this recipe is that you can throw whatever you have handy into it! Be creative!

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  2. I remember the protests against people with food allergies so I tread lightly when I say...great! I can use rice noodles with this and dive right in. My husband would love it. Won't be cooking for the next 2 weeks (vacation) but am going to print out for when we get home! LOVE the photo.

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  3. I love this style of cooking. But I've got all these vegs in the garden.... I should be growing beansprouts and shitake mushrooms!

    Bisou, Cro.

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  4. I love this dish. My friend makes a similar one made with rice that is stellar.

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  5. This looks right up my alley. Thanks for sharing. Maybe tomorrow...

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  6. I love summer salads. Will add this one to my listings. Hope all is well.

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  7. Nom. My husband would concur.

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  8. Feel like tasting those with a cup of delicious tea.

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  9. Sounds delicious, a pity it is so cold here -I'm cooking ox tails tonight.

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  10. Dear Willow, It looks very stylish and restaurant like - quite beyond me. But I am sure that it tastes delicious!

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  11. Thanks, Willow. It looks perfect for dinner (and I needed an idea). This is my favorite kind of dish and reminds me of a Thai salad I've had over and over at the Marks & Spencer Food Hall in Dublin and London. (They add shrimp.)

    YUM.

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  12. Sound's wonderful and nice for summer. Some days it's too hot to cook. You are a talented Lady.. Yvonne

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  13. It looks beautiful!!

    I've just read the post about flying shirley - really made me smile! :)

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  14. Hurrah - I have some sesame oil that I have never known what to do with. I'm going to try a small version of this as a starter when I next have ma-in-law over. Thank you willow - and in return here is the link to Bill's revised blog

    http://billstankus.blogspot.com/

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  15. Sounds great! I made the leek/asparagus/mushroom lasagna a while back and THAT was a winner!

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  16. Wow. So wonderful that this recipe is such a hit with you and your family. Love it! and love your additions.

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  17. Thanks Willow! Looks great! I've always wanted to find sesame seed oil; I've found the seeds! This reminds me of Thai cooking. Also I am looking for a recipe using sesame seed oil to make these most delicious sesame cookies. The peanut butter is a thai staple. Didn't know it was Chinese as well. Huh. Love red peppers!

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  18. This looks wonderful. My favorite cold noodle recipe has a peanut-butter based sauce, and this would be a nice change.

    BTW, I love to bring a cold noodle dish to a potluck. It tastes good at ANY temperature!

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  19. That sounds so easy and delicious. I'm going to have to try that. I know I'd like it and I bet Joe would, too. Thanks as always for a great recipe--I've made several of yours--you do realize you'll become my new cookbook, don't you.

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  20. This looks delish. Really. Sometimes I cook spaghetti and sprinkle some olive oil on it and cut some fresh sweet basil on it and fresh tomatoes cut up and parmesan cheese. But I have not done it cold. I like the bell peppers and mushrooms you have in this cold dish. Thanks for the photo, it helps me decide is this is something I would attempt. I am not one for things that take a long time.

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  21. Must give this one a try...it does sound good. I wonder if Soba noodles would work as well?
    Looks refreshing and healthy.
    Thanks for the recipe.

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  22. yum...going on the menu for this week! thanks!!

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  23. p.s. i agree with you 4 tablespoons of sesame oil is way too much sesame oil - i too will make a substitute!

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  24. Oh yeah! This is one of our house favs. We use flat rice Thai noodles that can be soaked briefly, then stir fried with the other stuff.

    We call it "noodle stuff." Not a very fabulous name, eh?

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  25. Kimy, I totally agree, a little sesame oil goes a long way, in my book.

    Reya, I'm going to try this "noodle stuff" with the Thai noodles next! Mmm.

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  26. I had Suki's recipe printed out and ready to try this weekend. What ever the farmers market has could fit right in I think. And since I most often eat Vegan, some marinaded grilled tofu. Yum.

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  27. Thank you Willow, needed an idea for dinner, it's printing right now! Sounds delicious!

    Nancy

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  28. Leslie, I think I'll throw some tofu in mine next time, too! Yum!

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  29. Hi, Willow. It's so nice to meet you. This looks awesome! It's also perfect timing for me. I have some peppers I just picked out of the garden, and I was hoping to do something different with them. The photo is beautiful. Thank you!

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  30. Oh, great for my vegan children too! I'll add it to my repertory. Thanks, Willow! Always delicious bites here.

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  31. I'll opt out with the soy sauce but the rest is in :P

    And please email me...if no-one else guesses closer( by week's end ) you'll be declared the winnah!

    And I ken just th' book ;)

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  32. Yum. This looks really deelish. Thanks.

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  33. Hello Willow,

    This sounds great! Some folks are funny about cold food with ingredients that they think should be served hot but it seems ideal for Summer. Prawns would be good too (even though you can't enjoy them!)

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  34. Derrick, oh, I know. Prawns, or shrimp, as we call them in these parts, would be fabulous in this. Alas, my shellfish loving days are over since I developed a nasty allergy. Now, how did you know that?

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  35. Ooh yum. The grown-up ones are imminent; this should prove very useful. Thanks!

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  36. Beautiful recipe, delightfully sumptuous and, seeing as how noodles are one of my favourite foods, I'll definitely be trying this out. So thank you for sharing this marvellous summer treat! :D

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  37. I agree, yum-a-licious indeed.

    your earlier post would make a great starting point for a children's picture book. I am imagining all the adventures of the little doll stranded on the roof, out in all weathers.

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  38. Looks delish! I'm going to try it on company -- I have that much faith in you, Willow!

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  39. Patty has a nice macaroni salad that seems to fly off the table when she makes it. I suspect it is similar in taste.

    Nice post and I enjoyed the look at the latest food crush.

    I appreciate the comment on my blog about your uncle's knotted hands. I was just at the arthritis doctor today -- the one who gives me the chemotherapy drug to prevent the knots. So far it has worked. He said I caught it in time.

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  40. Yes, I am going to make this. This is EXACTLY what I have been craving.

    WOO HOO!

    Willow rocks.

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  41. Will work for food!
    This looks and sounds yummeacious! :-)

    I have a recipe from Cooking Light, with peanut butter dressing, which is one of our summer favorites.

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  42. One of my favorite dishes..yours looks sooo good..I like to grate some cuke on it at the last minute..very fresh!

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  43. Willow, Willow ... thank you. For the lift today.

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  44. Mmm. Anything cold sounds good about now.

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  45. I've always wanted to try something like this but I'm shy of the chili oil. Just how spicy is this? I like a tiny bit of heat but not more. You always make everythiing look so wonderful!

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  46. Hey, Ragamuffin, I say leave it out and then gradually add bit by bit, until you get just the amount of heat you like. I like a bit of kick, but not so hot I can't taste the flavors!

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  47. I know we would love this! And I think I have everything to make it! Perfect for hot summer days. And Taylor and I love the hot spicey! yum.

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  48. Yum!...I make something similar and it is always a hit...I try to be sure there are some leftovers for my lunches:)

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  49. I doubt I could get my sons to eat such but, must say, it does look delish!!

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  50. That so wonderful plus that is extremely different from all blogs i have seen great work. Best Wishes

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)