Grandma Young’s Sesame Peanut Cold Noodle Recipe

Author’s Note: 

My grandmother (my’s side) is one of the most adventurous woman in my life. She is an avid traveler and someone that loves trying new things. Growing up she would share with photos her from trips around the world and the tales of her trips (how she crawled into the pyramid of Egypt or her trip to the safari). She was the Indiana Jones in my eyes. Unfortunately, recently she started suffering from memory loss she can’t always recall the names of the places of she has visited or food she tried. Sometime I feel like the universe has a plan, with this memory loss everything becomes new/exciting to her again.

Growing up my mother and my grandma would take us on road around America weeks at a time (before GPS was invented). She spoiled my brother and I, and is always down for an adventure (still is). One year we were driving through South Dakota passing Mount Rushmore. At a gas station, my brother and I saw a postcard that behind the mountain of the presidents’ faces the people carved in the butts of the presidents.

Let’s say my brother and I were thrilled. We had to see it. Once we got to Mt. Rushmore, when my brother & I realized we couldn’t travel to the back of the mountain by car (or it was too out of the way) our dreams were completely crushed. My grandma and my mom still didn’t tell us it isn’t real, instead we found a travel agency that would take us on a helicopter ride to the back of the mountain to check out the asses of the presidents (see photo below). My grandma rode with my brother, and I rode with my mom. Well of course we were crushed when we saw there were no butts carved into the mountain. Looking back it showed me how my grandma and my mom helped us explore our curiosity, they were easy going and

My grandma is not known for her food. She loves having the family together to share a meal. Out of all of her food, I think the family can agree on one thing there are three dishes she has perfection and everything else is not so good.

1. Chinese sesame/peanut cold noodle
2. Dumplings
3. Braised beef with tofu & Egg

Today we will focus on Chinese sesame/peanut cold noodle, it is one of my family’s favorite for the summer. It is refreshing, delicious, and full of vegetables. She actually makes the noodle and the dumpling skin from scratch. I am a bit lazier, but every time I have this dish I think about what a crazy ol’ lady she is.

Serving Size: 2              Total Prep & Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients for the Sesame Peanut Noodle Sauce: 

• 2 tbsp of un-sweeten peanut butter (or you can substitute with almond butter)
• 1.5 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp of dark vinegar (or any vinegar)
• 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic paste
• 1/2 teaspoon of ginger paste
• 3-4 tbsp of water (keep adding until it is runny)

What goes into the Sesame Peanut Noodle Bowl:

• 1/2 carrot julienne cut
• 2-3 small cucumber julienne cut (thinly cut)
• 2 boiled egg (you can make your yolk soft)
• Noodles Option
  • Whole wheat/ Soba Noodle
  • Shirataki Noodle (healthy made out of fiber)
  • White noodles (buy from Chinese store)
  • Don’t use spaghetti

How to make the Sesame Peanut Noodle sauce: 

1. Put garlic, ginger into mortar & pestle to smash until turn into paste (if you don’t have a mortar & pestle cut finely or put in blender)
2. Mix all of the ingredients for the sauce together, add water to make it into the consistency you like

Putting the bowl together:

1. Boil water and cook the noodles (follow the package). After it is done, drain the water and run the noodle under cold water and add ice cube.
2. Cut the desired vegetables thinly
3. Put the cold noodle in a bowl and mix a drizzle of sesame oil into the noodle (so it won’t stick)
4. Put the chopped vegetables on top and drizzle the already made sesame peanut sauce on it! Wa la!

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