Meatless Meals - Spicy Thai Noodles

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Now that Lent is here, I'm on the lookout for untried meatless meals that promise to be delicious while remaining simple to make. These noodles met that criteria. I found a photo of them on Pinterest, and they looked so luscious that I tracked the recipe back to its source, a blog called A Small Snippet. The noodles are made with pantry items and they take about 20 minutes to prepare. I think you'll agree that meal preparation doesn't get much easier than that. I made these for myself on Sunday, and I've been enjoying them for lunch everyday since then. I did want to briefly talk to you about the heat levels in this recipe. Anyone who has been to Thailand knows that Americans and Thais have different ideas about what is hot. They have a much greater tolerance for heat and that is demonstrated in this recipe. Leana's recipe called for 2 tablespoons of crushed pepper flakes. That is hot enough to take out most taste buds in a single bite and it is meant for courageous dragons who need an infusion of gasoline to fan the flames. While one tablespoon is hot, it is not unbearable, but even that may be too much for many palates. I decided to get around this by listing the quantity of pepper flakes recommended in the recipe as a range that is measured in teaspoons to make it easier to control. The Silver Fox is out of his comfort zone when I use a tablespoon of crushed pepper, so, when I am making the noodles for the two of us, I only use 1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons of the pepper flakes. I suspect you already know your family's tolerance for heat, so adjust accordingly. The noodles are delicious and I do hope you will try them. Here is how they are made.

Super Simple Spicy Thai Noodles...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of A Small Snippet

Ingredients:
1 pound linguine
1 to 6 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice or rice vinegar
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
Add-Ins/Garnish:
1/2 cup green onion
2 shredded carrots
1/2 cup cilantro
3/4 cup chopped peanuts
Toppings/Add-Ins
6 green onions, chopped
2 large shredded carrots
3/4 cup peanuts
1/2 cup cilantro

Directions:
1) In a small saucepan, heat sesame oil and red pepper flakes on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Pour oil through a fine strainer into a liquid measuring cup and discard pepper flakes. Whisk lime juice (or vinegar), honey and soy sauce into warm oil. Set aside.
2) In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook linguine according to package directions. Drain noodles and return them to pot or to a large bowl. Toss the noodles with reserved oil mixture.
3) Serve noodles warm, room temperature or cold with desired toppings sprinkled on top. Toss. Season to taste with salt. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

                    

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