(Told you it was pending)
Thai Noodle Salad
Originally found at Allrecipes.com
1 (12 ounce) package angel hair pasta
4 large carrots, shredded
1 small green bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 small red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 small yellow bell pepper, sliced thinly
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup chopped peanuts, divided
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup tahini (estimate)
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Green onions, for garnish
Break pasta in half and cook as directed. Drain and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, carrots, bell peppers and cilantro.
In a food processor, mix together 1/4 cup peanuts, peanut butter, tahini, vinegar, chile sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and brown sugar until well combined. Add a small amount of oil if the mixture is too thick. Season with salt and pepper.
Ten minutes before serving, toss the pasta mixture with the peanut sauce. Garnish with cilantro, green onions, peanuts, and sesame seeds, if desired.
My Notes:
I definitely adapted this recipe. I didn't have rice wine vinegar, so I cut the amount in half and used white wine vinegar. It came out really sour, so I added more tahini to compensate. The recipe above reflects the change I made; if you actually use rice wine vinegar, you may want to use more, as it isn't quite as strong as white wine vinegar.
I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, but I brought the dish to a potluck we were having, and those who had it complemented me on it. And I tried it and was mostly pleased. It's definitely less harsh on the salad itself than it is straight out of the bowl. Guess I need to work on my taste discrimination a bit more.
All in all, it was a very good, and very colorful recipe. I enjoyed it, and it was nice and light for a summer's day (or night, as the case may be).
