Renée Kohlman: Noodle salad in spicy peanut sauce is perfect for a hot day

I like that I can add whatever vegetables are in the crisper. Even leftover grilled chicken, pork or shrimp would be delicious.

Published Jul 13, 2023 • Last updated 11 hours ago • 4 minute read

Noodle salad in spicy peanut sauce. Supplied photo by Renee Kohlman.

“What do you cook when it’s hot out?” is a question I get asked a lot at this time of year.

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For those folks without air conditioning, the simple task of boiling water for pasta can mean the temperature inside the house will go up a degree or two. If you turn on the oven (oh brave one), you can add a few degrees.

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All of this cooking can create unwanted heat inside the house, and after living with no air conditioning for most of my life, I know what it feels like to try and sleep when the house is 28 C at night. It’s not fun.

Over the years I’ve mastered a few tricks on how to keep eating delicious things while trying to stay cool. Hot tip: get a slow cooker, air fryer and/or Instant Pot. I don’t have those last two appliances but, by all accounts, you can cook some tasty things in them while not releasing too much heat inside the house.

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I am good friends with my slow cooker and, during a heat wave, I’ll cook up meaty things like pulled pork, whole chicken and beef roast. You can have one dandy of a meal the first night (served with a big salad and bread), then with the leftovers use the meat for tacos, wraps, sandwiches, quesadillas, etc. You can also cook baked potatoes inside the slow cooker — just wash and prick with a fork, rub with oil, season with salt, wrap in foil and cook on low for eight hours or high for three to four hours.

I’m also a huge fan of grazing boards for summertime suppers. Just raid the deli and get a good selection of cold cuts, cheeses, olives, marinated artichoke hearts, nuts, hummus and other dips. Serve on large platters alongside fresh baguette slices, plenty of fresh-cut vegetables, and fruit. I like to marinate cubes of feta in olive oil and herbs. It’s so simple and so good. There’s usually a plate of sliced bocconcini cheese and cherry tomatoes, drizzled with good olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Slivers of fresh basil are a must.

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Then there are the big composed salads, bursting with protein, vegetables and carbs. Nicoise and Cobb are two favourites around here, but I’m also a fan of pasta salads.

Use the cool morning hours to boil the pasta before the house gets too hot. Just drain, rinse, toss in a little oil and refrigerate until you’re ready to make the salad. The pasta is an excellent base for whatever add-ins you like. Use this time to look around the fridge and see what needs using up, and be sure to take snippets of fresh herbs growing on your patio. Their flavour really does perk up the pasta salad.

Lately I’ve been crushing hard on this noodle salad with spicy peanut sauce. I like that I can add whatever vegetables are in the crisper. Even leftover grilled chicken, pork or shrimp would be delicious. I kept this version vegetarian, as I had a craving for edamame (I know it sounds weird, but it happens), and I’m happy to report that this was a hit with the crowd gathered around my picnic table.

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Supplied photo by Renee Kohlman. jpg

Noodle Salad in Spicy Peanut Sauce

Spicy Peanut Sauce:

3/4 cup natural peanut butter (chunky or smooth)

1/3 cup very hot water

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

3 tbsp tamari or low-sodium soy sauce

3 tbsp liquid honey

2 tbsp canola oil

2-3 tsp sriracha or other hot sauce

2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Noodle Salad:

10 oz (300 g) spaghetti or other long noodles

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

2 cups thinly sliced cabbage (green or red)

1 cup shredded carrot

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

3 green onions, chopped (reserve some for garnish)

1/2 chopped fresh herbs such as cilantro, basil and/or mint

Optional add-ins: cooked chicken, pork, shrimp, tofu

Garnish:

1/2 cup chopped salted and roasted peanuts

lime wedges

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1. To make the peanut sauce: in a medium bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until smooth. If you find it too thick, add a splash or two of hot water.

2. Cook the pasta according to package directions. At the halfway point of the cooking time (four minutes), stir in the edamame and cook along with the spaghetti for another four to five minutes until the spaghetti is al dente. Pour into a colander and rinse both the pasta and edamame under cold running water. Drain well.

3. Dump the pasta and edamame into a large mixing bowl. Add the vegetables, herbs, and optional add-ins. Pour in the peanut sauce and toss very well to combine. Divide into bowls and garnish with remaining green onions, peanuts and lime wedges. Makes four to six servings.

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Noodle salad in spicy peanut sauce. Supplied photo by Renee Kohlman.

This piece was first published in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix on July 22, 2021.

Renée Kohlman has been cooking and baking professionally for over 20 years. Her best-selling debut cookbook, All the Sweet Things (TouchWood Editions), received accolades at the 2018 Taste Canada Awards. Her second cookbook, Vegetables: A Love Story (TouchWood Editions), was named one of the top 100 books in 2021 by The Globe and Mail. Renée is often in her kitchen, baking gourmet cookies, which she sells at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market every weekend.

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