Peanut Butter Noodles

Peanut butter has become a pariah in our culture for many reasons, including allergies, fear of toxic mold or simply to avoid gaining weight.

I love peanut butter and eat it almost every day. Sometimes on gluten-free bread or rice crackers, sometimes out of the jar with a spoon. When I was younger, my family thought it was gross when I spread it on apple slices, though now that’s become more common. Try it, if you haven’t already.

While I was aware of the health benefits of nuts, I was thrilled to learn that peanuts match many fruits as a source of antioxidants. Not a reason to shun fruit, mind you, but an interesting fact nonetheless.

As fun as it is to lick peanut butter off a spoon, lately I’ve been interested in branching out my peanut culinary delights. Enter peanut butter noodles. There are many other ingredients in here that lessen the intensity of the peanut buttery flavour, but I loved this creamy and tangy sauce. It would work great as a marinade or dipping sauce as well.

I replaced all the vegetables in the original recipe with ones that I found at my local farmers market – cauliflower, yellow pepper, green beans and spinach. You can use whatever you have on hand, too. I also used brown rice spaghetti instead of buckwheat soba, since many store-bought buckwheat sobas are mostly made of whole wheat. (If anyone knows where I can find pure buckwheat soba, do tell.)

I’ll be making this one again soon. Peanut butter, I promise to never desert you.

Cold Sesame Soba
Adapted from Cooking with my Kid

1 package of soba noodles (or brown rice pasta)
2 to 3 cups broccoli florets
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup good apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 ½ tbsp dark sesame oil
½ tbsp agave nectar
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup smooth peanut butter
2 scallions, finely chopped
toasted sesame seeds for sprinkling
salt & fresh cracked pepper

Prepare the sauce by whisking together oils, vinegar, soy sauce, agave, garlic, ginger and peanut butter until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Boil noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Let it continue to drain in the sink. Meanwhile, blanche the broccoli. Transfer noodles and broccoli to a large bowl and toss with sauce. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and scallions. Can be kept in the fridge for a few days. Serves 6.