Szechuan Noodles

These noodles hit all the marks! They are delicious, good for you and kid friendly! You can turn this into a main dish by adding either gilled chicken or salmon, or for vegetarians, grilled tempeh.

Ingredients:

1 box regular or protein enriched linguini
water as needed
kosher salt
1/2 cup reduced fat peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons roasted or toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
15 snow peas, each sliced in half lengthwise
5-6 shiitake mushrooms, brushed clean, stems discarded, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded, sliced into very thin 1/8 inch strips
1/4 cup shredded carrots
2 scallions, roots trimmed and discarded, thinly sliced (optional)

Directions:

1) Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water, according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
2) In a small pot, whisk the peanut butter, soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, vinegar, sesame oil, teriyaki sauce, honey, garlic, salt and ginger. Heat over medium heat and whisk until smooth and warm.
3) Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the veggies for 5-6 minutes until shiny and slightly limp.
4) In a large bowl toss the linguini with the peanut sauce and vegetables. Serve hot or at room temperature. If served at room temperature the sauce will thicken.