Chilled Sesame Noodles with Shrimp and Lime

I've been on a bit of a Thai kick in the kitchen lately....I recently made this Chilled Sesame Noodles with Shrimp and Lime dish that originally came out of my Colorado Colore cookbook from the Junior League of Denver.  I added a few more ingredients (carrots, edamame, and black sesame seeds) to my dish and the hubby and I both thought it was delicious.  Not such a hit with my boys....I think it was the cold noodles, not something they are used to!

Chilled Sesame Noodles with Shrimp and Lime
Serves 6
Adopted from the Colorado Colore cookbook from the Junior League of Denver

16 ounces fine multigrain noodles
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil (or enough to coat noodles)
1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup (about) hot water
8 ounces shrimp, cooked and peeled
1 cup ming bean sprouts (I couldn't find any bean sprouts at the grocery store so didn't include)
4 green onions with tops, finely chopped
1/2 cup edamame, shelled
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
1 lime, cut into wedges

Cook the noodles using package directions, drain.  Toss the noodles with the sesame oil in a bowl.  Chill, covered for at least 2 hours or for up to 24 hours.

Combine the peanut butter, fish sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, hot sauce, and garlic in a food processor.  Process until smooth.  Add the hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauce is the consistency of heavy cream, processing constantly.  You may cover the sauce at this point and set aside for several hours.

To serve, toss the peanut sauce, chilled noodles, shrimp, bean sprouts, edamame, carrots, and green onions in a bowl until coated.  Sprinkle with the peanuts and top with lime wedges.  Squeeze limes over to taste. 

Shrimp Pad Thai

I made this dish tonight, not only was it delicious - but it was super quick to make!  One of my boys enjoyed the shrimp and not the noodles and the other was just the opposite.  If you know my boys, I'm sure you can figure out the favorite for each one! 

This recipe was in the Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2012 and I made some slight changes to it.  Most of them because of what I had in my refrigerator!

Give this one a try - I think you'll like it!

Shrimp Pad Thai
Serves 4
Adapted from the Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2012

8 ounces pad thai noodles, preferably A Taste of Thai or Thai Kitchen brands
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about the juice of 1 1/2 - 2 limes), plus lime wedges for serving
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 Thai bird chiles or 1 serrano chile with seeds, stemmed and thinly sliced (optional)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 large shallots, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces shelled and deveined medium shrimp (I used small - easier for the boys to eat!)
2 large eggs, beaten
4 scallions, thinly sliced (not pictured here, I didn't have - would have liked to have included them, used about 2 tablespoons of chopped white onion instead)

For Serving:
Roasted peanuts, chopped cilantro, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, sesame seeds

Put the pad thai noodles in a very large bowl and cover them with very hot water.  Let the noodles soak while you do the rest of the prep work until they are pliable. 

In a small bowl, whisk the fish sauce with the lime juice, light brown sugar and sliced chiles.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the canola oil until shimmering.  Add the shallots and garlic and cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.  Drain the pad thai noodles in a colander and shake the excess water off of them.  Add them to the pan and stir-fry with the shallots and garlic until the noodles are heated through, about 2 minutes.  Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to curl and turn pink.

Scrape the noodles and shrimp to one side of the pan and add remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the empty side of the skillet.  Add the beaten eggs and cook, stirring occasionally, until nearly set, about 1 minute.  Add the sliced scallions and toss everything together, keeping the eggs relatively intact.  Add the fish sauce mixture and stir-fry until the noodles are evenly coated, about 2-3 minutes.   This was easiest to do with a pair of tongs.

Transfer the pad thai to a platter.  Top with roasted peanuts, cilantro, carrots, bean sprouts, and sesame seeds.  Serve immediately with lime wedges. 

Note:  Food & Wine recommended a ripe, lime-scented Pinot Gris from Oregon:  2009 O'Reilly's to serve with this dish.