This isn’t my first spicy peanut noodle recipe, and more likely than not, it won’t be my last. That’s because it’s generally a fast, flexible and flavorful dish — three of my favorite recipe-related f-words. Ground beef stars in this version, which features an aromatic base of garlic, ginger and scallions.
Get the recipe: Spicy Peanut Noodles With Ground Beef
What I love about the sauce is that it is greater than the sum of its parts. At its core, all you need are peanut butter, hot sauce and water (to get the consistency just right). The result is beautifully nutty, rich and spicy. The fat from the peanut butter helps to tame some of the heat, allowing you to enjoy more of the overall flavor without setting your mouth on fire.
It’s also infinitely customizable. I prefer a conventional peanut butter for the added sugar to bring further dimension to the sauce, but any smooth nut or seed butter will do. For heat, this recipe calls for chile-garlic sauce, which is basically crushed chiles and garlic. I’ve also used sriracha in the past, and sambal oelek or gochujang would work well, too. But in all honesty, anything that brings the heat would be fine, be it a dash of Tabasco, some finely diced fresh chiles or a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes. (You can use less or even no spice if you’re not a fan, though you’d need to compensate for the flavor with other ingredients, such as more ginger or garlic.)
And you don’t need to stop there. Taste and tweak the sauce until it’s just how you want it. Some possibilities include a splash of soy sauce, a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a drizzle of honey, just to name a few.
A bonus of this recipe is its thriftiness. Compared with other cuts of beef available at the grocery store, ground beef is much more affordable. If you don’t eat beef, this recipe would work well with any type of ground meat, or a plant-based substitute if you’re vegetarian. (If you have vegetables you need to use up — or simply want extra nutrition — they can get tossed in, too.)
Many of the other ingredients are things you might already have in your kitchen, but the fresh noodles called for in this recipe are relatively new to me. They eliminate the need for a second pot to boil them in, making the recipe especially weeknight-friendly. If you have an Asian grocery store near you, you can find fresh noodles in the refrigerated section. Or you can find vacuum-packed shelf-stable versions in the international aisle at well-stocked supermarkets. What makes these noodles so handy is that all you basically need to do is heat them up, and they’re ready to go. (I’ll be adding them to my pantry for future meals.)
This is the type of dish that is great to have in your dinner arsenal any time of the year, but it can be especially useful as we head into the throes of Thanksgiving prep when you still need to figure out how to feed your family in the days leading up to the holiday. The next time you’re craving something delicious and have only 20 minutes to spare, you’ll be thankful for these spicy peanut noodles.
Get the recipe: Spicy Peanut Noodles With Ground Beef
The post Spicy peanut noodles are fast, flexible and full of flavor
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