Peanut Udon Noodles

Peanut butter goodness, that's what this is. This noodle dish is so simple and so scrumptious! I'm so happy I found it. My noodle craving can now be satisfied at home, for cheap. Live I've said before, I'm not much of a pasta girl. But Asian noodles are a different story. They're usually lithe and light, slippery and satisfying. If only I could master the art of eating with chopsticks. I'm terrible at it. I own cheater chopsticks that I carry with me to restaurants. They're connected at the top and work like prongs. No coordination required!

Whenever possible, I try and use whole grains. But this time I was worried it would ruin the result. So I used an Asian wheat noodle known as Udon. The healthier alternative would be Soba noodles (made with buckwheat). To add protein to this dish you could shred a rotisserie chicken and warm it with the sauce or dice and sear your own in the pan before making the sauce. Shrimp would also be excellent. They only take a minute to cook, so add them to the sauce at the end, right before tossing with the noodles.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
3 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. hot chili paste (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. Udon noodles
green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
roasted peanuts, crushed
fresh cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until tender according to package directions. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, combine chicken broth, ginger, soy sauce, peanut butter, honey, chili paste, and garlic in a large pan or wok. Cook over medium heat until peanut butter melts and is heated through. Add noodles and red pepper, and toss to coat. (If you find that the sauce is too thick or is glopping up the noodles, slowly add some warm water or chicken broth to thin it out.) Garnish with green onions, peanuts, and cilantro.

Serves 2-4.

(Adapted from All Recipes)