Indonesian Noodles

Once upon a time I read a review of a cookbook called Comfortably Yum, by Luisa M. Perkins. The review was so complimentary that I immediately looked up the cookbook on Amazon, and without thinking added it to my wish-list.

Fast forward who knows how long, to this past Christmas. Mark hacked my Amazon account to see what I had on my wish-list, not knowing that I never use it. Oh, except for that one time. And you can guess what I opened on Christmas morning. Unfortunately, I had no recollection of this book, so when I saw it I said, Oh, that looks neat. And Mark was slightly flummoxed when it became clear that I didn't remember the book.

Aside from all of that, this is a great cookbook. It is full of comfort foods, and a random assortment at that. I have only tried two recipes so far, but I am looking forward to trying all of them. This one is for Indonesian noodles and is incredibly quick, easy, and delicious.

1 lb. thin spaghetti or linguini (I used regular spaghetti)
2 T. sesame oil
1 c. chunky peanut butter
1/2 c. soy sauce
2 T. rice wine vinegar
2 T. fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
4 scallions, chopped (didn't have scallions; used plain old green onions)
2 c. cooked chicken, shredded or sliced thin
1 T. sesame seeds

Cook the pasta as directed; drain and toss with sesame oil.
In a large bowl, combine the PB, soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger. Add it to the pasta and mix well, then add the chicken. I waited until the bowls were served up before garnishing each with the green onions/scallions and sesame seeds. Serve at room temperature. Serves 8.

I halved this recipe for our little family and it turned out great. The green onions and sesame seeds really added the finishing touch to this dish-- don't skip those. I loved this and will definitely make again. It beats out another Asian noodle recipe I have made that has pork instead of chicken in it, so I am going to try this with pork next. YUM.