Peanut-Orange Noodles

From the top: Carrot strips, broccoli florets, orange juice, spinach noodles

This is a dish I like to make on days I don't feel like cooking. It's quick, easy to vary the flavors, and makes a simple, yet delicious meal.

I usually make this with soba noodles, but all I had were these spinach noodles from the Asian market. If anything, it shows the versatility of this recipe and recipes similar. You could even use spaghetti if that's all you had.

The peanut sauce is the highlight of this dish. It makes the dish filling, while the orange juice in it keeps the taste light. Sometimes you make dinner and wonder if it'll fill you up. This looks that way, but it really is satiating.

I chose to blanch the vegetables because it's really fast and it can be done in the same pot that you'll cook the noodles in.

For more protein, I used chicken. You could add tofu or anything else you prefer that would combine well with the flavors. If you don't have leftover chicken or don't have the time to cook it, pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store.

Pour the sauce over and toss to coat.

Dinner is served!

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Peanut Orange Noodles
Recipe by Christina

Yields 2 Servings

Sauce Ingredients:

Grated rind of one orange (set aside)
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2-3 oranges)
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder or a 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon hot chili paste or 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Noodle Mixture Ingredients:
2 cups of broccoli florets, cut into evenly sized pieces<
2 carrots, either julienned or peeled into strips with this type of vegetable peeler, which can be found at an Asian store
1 1/2 cups shredded chicken
8 ounces dry soba noodles

Directions:

1. For sauce: Combine all ingredients, except the grated orange rind, into a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Stir until combined, then turn the heat to low until needed. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly. If it's too salty, add a few tablespoons more orange juice. If it needs more flavor, start with 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt.


2. For the noodle mixture: Fill a large pot with water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, have a colander and a large bowl ready. Add the broccoli to the boiling water and blanch for 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to the colander and rinse with cool water just to stop the cooking process. Transfer to the large bowl.


3. Repeat the process with the carrots, except blanch for only 1 minute for julienned or 1 minute 45 seconds for strips. Add the carrots and shredded chicken to the bowl.


4. In the same water, brought to a boil again, add the soba noodles and cook according to the box instructions. Before straining the noodles, add 2 tablespoon of the pasta water to the orange-peanut sauce. Add the noodles to the bowl, then pour the sauce over the noodle mixture and toss to combine. Sprinkle grated orange rind on top each serving.