• 8 oz. soba or udon noodles
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 4 tablespoon smooth, natural-style peanut butter
• 3 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoon fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoon natural vegan sugar
• Pinch of cayenne (optional)
• Vegetables (any combination of the following): mung bean sprouts, cucumbers (peeled, seeded, and sliced into half-moons), red bell pepper (chopped or cut into thin strips), snow peas (whole or cut in half), carrots (chopped or julienned), broccoli florets (lightly steamed), frozen green peas (thawed), scallions (thinly sliced)

My kids are crazy about the peanut noodles on the buffet at our local natural food store. I've tried many different peanut noodle recipes, each of which caused them to turn up their nose. Finally I came up with this recipe, which they both eat enthusiastically! (I think the fresh ginger is key.) You can vary the amount of water depending on how thick you want the sauce. Use whatever vegetables appeal most to you. Bean sprouts, cucumbers, broccoli (sometimes), and snow peas go over especially well with my picky eaters.

In a pot of boiling water, cook the noodles until tender. Drain them, and rinse with cold water.

Make the peanut sauce by whisking together the warm water, peanut butter, soy sauce/tamari, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, and cayenne. I prefer to mix the ingredients in a blender so comes out extra smooth and creamy, but mixing by hand will work, too.

Prepare any vegetables you plan on using.

Transfer the noodles to a serving bowl, and toss them with the sauce (see note, below). Stir in the vegetables or serve the veggies on the side. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Note: It's best to toss the noodles with the peanut sauce right before serving so the sauce doesn't get absorbed by the noodles. If I put this meal in my children's lunchboxes, I usually put the sauce in a separate, small container so they can mix it with the noodles at lunchtime.

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 30 min.