Some dresses are marketed as “day-into-night,” meaning that they’ll take you from work into an evening out if you add some pretty heels, lose the cardigan, and freshen up your makeup. Rather than plan my attire for dancing the night away, I’m looking for “night-into-day” dinner dishes that, when you add some tupperware, will take me into a 20-minute lunch break the next day. Salads that wilt or sandwiches that require the toaster oven need not apply.
I saw dan dan noodles on Little Miss Runshine‘s blog the other day and thought they would be a good night-into-day choice. I decided to soak the egg noodles and then cook them in the skillet, so this recipe only required one skillet, one knife, one chopping board, and one food processor.
Ingredients
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/2 cup raw peanuts
1 small jalapeño, minced
1 small garlic clove, halved
One 1/4-inch slice of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Sriracha chile sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Kosher salt
12 ounces chow mein noodles
Cucumber matchsticks, sliced scallions, chopped cilantro, sesame seeds and lime halves, for garnish
Directions
1. In a large skillet, heat the peanut oil. Add the peanuts and fry over moderate heat until golden, about 8 minutes; let cool slightly. Transfer the peanuts and oil to a food processor. Add the jalapeño, garlic and ginger and process until minced. Add the soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, Sriracha, sugar and sesame oil and process until smooth. Season generously with salt.
2. In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the noodles until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water; pat dry. Toss the noodles with the dressing and mound in serving bowls; top with the garnishes and serve.
I opted to go with carrots, scallions, and lime for garnish today. I give it an A+ and will be taking some to school tomorrow!
