So, just as quickly as winter ended here in New York City, summer welcomed itself! Rolling in during Memorial Day weekend, the season made it’s debut suddenly and without the luxury of a slow, lovely spring to transition us to the heat. No time for “light jackets” or a few extra weeks to melt off those winter layers- just ninety something degree heat, immediately. Temperatures are predicted to reach 97 degrees tomorrow in the tri-state area, possibly making this day the hottest temperature to be recorded so early in the summer season. Keeping this in mind, I think it’s a good idea to consider some dinner options that a) require minimal effort, b) require minimal amounts of heat and c) require minimal amounts of space in your belly or at least, don’t have you reaching for your elastic waist sweatpants! This week’s featured recipe doesn’t make you feel guilty after eating it, yet is delicious and satisfying. This cold peanut soba noodles combines some ingredients I love like edamame, peanut butter and buckwheat noodles. Who doesn’t like peanut butter and who doesn’t like eating those lovely, lightly salted edamame soybeans when you go out for sushi?
This recipe combines several ingredients you would typically find in Asian dishes like a good soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and the good old standby hot sauce favorite, Sriracha!
If you haven’t been to a good Asian grocer, I definitely recommend that you make the trip to one. We have a HUGE Asian grocer here on South Avenue in Staten Island called Asian Food Markets that is phenomenal. A full aisle devoted to soy sauce, tea & noodles, amazing produce that is cheap and fresh & yummy frozen items like mango ice cream, red bean ice pops, green tea mochi which I can’t resist purchasing. When I hit this particular grocer, I load up on many things but ALWAYS end up with some baby bok choy, fresh ginger ($1.35 for OVER a pound of ginger, which I freeze), Japanese eggplant (perfect for stir fry), lemongrass and sprouts WHICH are really cheap there. The shopping experience there CAN be a little intimidating since most items are not in English, but take your time, do a few laps around the supermarket and acquaint yourself with where things are. Try something new out & don’t be afraid. Take it home and do a little experimenting, you won’t be sorry!
So, here’s the recipe! One other thing I love about this is that it calls for rotisserie chicken, a favorite weekday cheat item, which you can pick up ready-made at ANY supermarket for about $5.99. This recipe only uses a cup of shredded chicken, so save the rest and serve up some quick Mexican chicken tacos later in the week. Eat twice from ONE store-bought bird! How easy is that?
Cold Peanut Soba Noodles with Chicken
Serves 4
Ingredients
12 Ounces of Soba Noodles (buckwheat)
1 Cup of Frozen Shelled Edamame
½ Cup of Smooth Peanut Butter
2 Tablespoons of Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
2 Teaspoons of Grated Ginger
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoon of Sriracha Hot Sauce (less if you are heat sensitive)
1 Cup of Shredded Rotisserie Chicken
1 Cup of Diced Cucumber (I use seedless English)
½ Cup of Chopped Scallions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the soba noodles and edamame and cook as the noodle label directs (which is usually 2-3 minutes!) Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, drain the noodles and run under cold water to cool.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil and Sriracha. Add ONLY ½ cup of the reserved cooking water and continue whisking until smooth. Add the noodles and edamame, toss to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. If the peanut sauce is too thick, add a bit of the reserved cooking liquid to loosen, if needed. Divide amongst serving bowls and top with the chicken, cucumber and scallions. ENJOY!
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