• 8 oz. soba or udon noodles
  
• 1/4 cup warm water
  
• 4 tablespoon smooth, natural-style peanut butter
  
• 3 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
  
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  
• 2 teaspoon fresh ginger, chopped
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoon dark sesame oil
  
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  
• 2 teaspoon natural vegan sugar
  
• Pinch of cayenne (optional)
  
• Vegetables (any combination of the following): mung bean sprouts, cucumbers (peeled, seeded, and sliced into half-moons), red bell pepper (chopped or cut into thin strips), snow peas (whole or cut in half), carrots (chopped or julienned), broccoli florets (lightly steamed), frozen green peas (thawed), scallions (thinly sliced)
  

My kids are crazy about the peanut
noodles on the buffet at our local
natural food store. I've tried many
different peanut noodle recipes,
each of which caused them to turn
up their nose. Finally I came up with
this recipe, which they both eat
enthusiastically! (I think the fresh
ginger is key.) You can vary the
amount of water depending on how
thick you want the sauce. Use
whatever vegetables appeal most to
you. Bean sprouts, cucumbers,
broccoli (sometimes), and snow
peas go over especially well with my
picky eaters.

In a pot of boiling water, cook the
noodles until tender. Drain them,
and rinse with cold water.

Make the peanut sauce by whisking
together the warm water, peanut
butter, soy sauce/tamari, garlic,
ginger, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar,
and cayenne. I prefer to mix the
ingredients in a blender so comes
out extra smooth and creamy, but
mixing by hand will work, too.

Prepare any vegetables you plan on
using.

Transfer the noodles to a serving
bowl, and toss them with the sauce
(see note, below). Stir in the
vegetables or serve the veggies on
the side. Serve at room temperature
or cold.

Note: It's best to toss the noodles
with the peanut sauce right before
serving so the sauce doesn't get
absorbed by the noodles. If I put this
meal in my children's lunchboxes, I
usually put the sauce in a separate,
small container so they can mix it
with the noodles at lunchtime.

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 30 min.