Peanut Noodles

Now, in my days of eating in a vegan/vegetarian coop in college, I've had some pretty horrible peanut sauce. An almost impossible to swallow mixture of what seemed to be crunchy peanut butter with a dash of water and Braggs. This, my friends, is an entirely different beast. I found this recipe by Bogart Loves, local blogger and baker of delicious donuts. It's spicy and comforting and all-around delicious.

for the sauce:1 Tbsp canola oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
1/3 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp agave syrup
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sriracha chili sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp dark sesame oil
juice of one lime

In a large saute pan, heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chopped shallot and garlic. Meanwhile, combine the rest of the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together until smooth. Allow shallot and garlic to cook until they turn slightly golden and then add the sauce. Bring sauce to a simmer and allow to cook for no more than 3-5 minutes, stirring often. If the sauce becomes thick, add a bit of water to thin it out.

I used coconut oil instead of canola oil and onion instead of shallot. You could also omit the fish sauce to make it vegetarian. I steamed what veggies I had (cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage), boiled up some udon noodles and smothered the whole thing with the peanut sauce and topped it with fresh tomatoes and green onions.