MONDAY RECIPE IS BACK - 20-MINUTE SPICY THAI NOODLE BOWL

This is not a recipe for people who have a peanut allergy. 

I am not sure if you are still interested in the recipe posts, but these are ones I like to add so that they are readily available for the next time we make it.  It is always fun to tweak the ingredients to your own enjoyment and tastes.  

20-Minute Spicy Thai Noodle Bowl
6 to 8 servings

I found my recipe here at Life Made Simple.  Thank you Natalie for a wonderful meal.  Natalie suggested you might like to add cooked chicken or shrimp.  I used whatever I had in the pantry, and didn't want to go back up to the store.  It was a delicious, meatless meal.

Preparation time: 12 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

1 lb. spaghetti (we already had a packet of Thai Rice Noodles in the pantry, and cooked them following the package directions)
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1-1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil
5 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 teaspoons of rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of Sriracha (I added a teaspoon but it still wasn't very hot, and will add 2 teapoons next time.  Other half also adds more at the table.)
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons of honey
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 green onion, minced and extra sliced thinly for garnishing
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, julienned
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped (we changed this to Thai Basil as it is our favorite.  We tore the leaves off the stem and left them whole.)
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts (Planters), chopped and whole.
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add the spaghetti (or rice noodles) and cook until al dente.  

Meanwhile in a small mixing bowl combine the vegetable oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Sriracha, peanut butter, honey, minced garlic and minced green onion.  Whisk vigorously until smooth.

Drain the noodles and return to the same large pot.  Add the sauce, red bell pepper, carrot, cilantro (or Thai basil), peanuts, crushed red pepper flakes and sesame seeds.  Toss until combined.  

Garnish with extra chopped peanuts and/or sliced green onions if you like.  Thai basil leaves also make a nice garnish.  It all depends on your own taste.

Delicious meal and one we will be adding to our list of favorites.  We found that because we had changed over to rice noodles, and the directions on the package called for draining thoroughly and rinsing them in cold water, that we needed to warm them back up again in the pan with the other ingredients.  We served up once they were heated through nicely.  Some might enjoy these cold and I am sure they taste very good.  At this point in time, we prefer our noodles heated.

There are leftovers for other meals and they only seem to get better the day after.

We still do the buddy system when cooking. I prepared all the ingredients so that they were ready to go when Gregg got home.  I didn't go any further because he enjoys cooking since retirement, and he finished the meal.  We were shocked when we realized that, as of June he will have been retired for five years.  

All that preparation and cooking time took longer for me.  I never seem to be able to get it all done in the time allotted, which is fine because I always enjoy the process.  I start early with all the veggie  and sauce prep, when my energy level is high, refrigerating where necessary, then when it comes to actually putting everything in the pan, it is very easy.