Welcome to The Nest.
This is the true story of a foodie. Cooking for one. In a nest. 
I sound rather dramatic, don’t I? I decided to start a “chronicle” (if you will), of my culinary endeavors. An inside look at the joys of cooking for one in a dysfunctional kitchen. Tonight we shall make Cold Peanut Noodle Salad.
My number one rule: Cooking for one should never be boring, or with out wine. So pour yourself a glass of Riesling (into the only non-broken, free glass you own). It will be perfect with the heat and cilantro in this dish!
Step 1: Line up your key players on the windowsill because it is the only unoccupied surface in your apartment and has a breathtaking view of a parking lot. Take a moment to realize that despite your living conditions, this will be a fantastic meal because it includes sesame oil, ginger, sriracha AND peanut butter.
Step 2: Remove 1 serving of soba noodles from the package and cook according to directions. In the mean time prepare your sauce and sip some wine.
1.5 TBS Creamy Peanut Butter, 1 TBS Low-Sodium Soy Sauce, 1/2 TBS Rice Vinegar, 1 tsp Minced Ginger, 1/2-1 tsp (or less…I like it hot) Sriracha Hot Sauce, The Juice of 1/2 a lime. WISK! WISK!- Work it!!
Step 3: When the noodles are done cooking, immediately drain and rinse with cold water. Add 1/2-1 tsp sesame oil to the noodles and toss to coat.
Step 4: Add red bell pepper, slices of English cucumber and snap peas to the noodles. Toss again.
Step 5: Add noodle/veggie mix to the peanut sauce. MIX. MIX. Sip Wine. MIX!
Step 6: Time to plate! Place a bed of mixed lettuce on your plate. Add noodle and veggie mixture on top. Garnish with cilantro, peanuts and a slice of lime. (Yes, the garnish is necessary. Ginger and lime with out cilantro is like jelly without peanut butter. It’s still good but has untapped potential.)
Step 7: Find chopsticks to use instead of a fork. Remember, cooking for one should be FUN and what’s more fun than eating with chopsticks?…and pour yourself a splash more wine. You deserve it for a meal well done.
Step 8: My “post meal” step–do the dishes so you wake up to a clean kitchen in the morning. This would also be an appropriate time to grab a fudgesicle from the freezer ice-box because a meal is never complete with out dessert….and you are dying from the heat in your non-air-conditioned, top floor apartment.
Big Kitchen Dreams,
Nora
[...] week “The Nest” brought you Cold Peanut Noodle Salad. This week features one of the seasons best: Homegrown Blackberries. Picking 3-quarts of [...]
This looks outstanding! You’re so right about the garnishes, cilantro makes everything asian or mexican taste better. Sometimes I miss when I lived in a little apartment with my man and our roommate because I’d often times cook for myself. These days I’m always cooking for 5!
I’ve been wanting to make a cold noodle salad like this lately! Hopefully it will taste just as good with Sunbutter or almond butter instead of peanut butter…
I definitely agree that you can’t have lime and ginger without the cilantro!
good recipe..simple, I like that!
I agree! Never boring or with out wine. Great recipe. Boy do I wish you lived near us. We could have some great dinners/wine together.
You always embrace your meals with passion (which I love!) and I agree that no matter who you are cooking for…a glass of wine always helps! Thank you for sharing!
So awesome – I love this post! I am going to make this very soon! Simple, flavorful ingredients and perfect wine …there’s nothing better!
I love this post! Cooking for one should absolutely be fun! Next time I’ll try it with a good glass of wine
Another necessity: MUSIC! You probably know my Beyonce pandora station gets a lot of play when I cook!
Hey Karla!! LOVE IT! Gotta shake yo thannannnggg while you are chopping and stirring! Makes things FUN! Love your Beyonce pandora!