Spicy Oriental Linguine Beef Salad With Peanut Dressing Recipes

SOY-GINGER BEEF AND NOODLE SALAD WITH PEANUT DRESSING

Steps:

• For dressing:
• Combine 1 1/4 cups boiling water and tea bags and steep 5 minutes. Place peanut butter in medium bowl. Add 3/4 cup tea, soy sauce, lime juice, and cayenne. Whisk dressing to blend well. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.) Mix in watercress and mint.
• For beef:
• Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, honey, crushed red pepper, and cumin in large bowl; whisk to blend. Add beef and toss to coat. Marinate at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• For salad:
• Cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Transfer linguine to large bowl. Mix in sesame oil. Using vegetable peeler, cut cucumber halves lengthwise into long thin ribbons; arrange on paper towels to drain.
• Drain marinade from beef into medium saucepan; boil 2 minutes over high heat. Cool. Heat grill pan or large ridged cast-iron skillet over high heat 4 minutes. Working in batches, grill beef until just brown outside but rare inside, about 1 minute per side. Transfer beef to bowl.
• Add cucumbers, green onions, and cooled marinade to linguine. Add dressing and toss to coat. Season salad with salt and pepper. Arrange mint and watercress around edge of large platter. Mound noodle salad in center; top with beef. Garnish with peanuts and lime wedges.

COLD SESAME NOODLE SALAD WITH SPICY PEANUT DRESSING

Steps:

• Cook and drain pasta, toss with 1 T. of the sesame oil. **Do-Ahead Tip: cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
• In a blender or food processor, process together the remaining 1 T. sesame oil, vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, and brown sugar until smooth. Taste for soy and sugar. **Do-Ahead Tip: refrigerate up to 3 days. Let come to room temperature and whisk before using.
• Microwave the snow peas on High or plunge into boiling water for 1 minute. Shock in ice water, pat dry, and cut in half on the diagonal. **Can omit this step if they are young and tender.
• Add the snow peas, scallions, carrots, 2 T. of the peanuts, and 1 T. of the sesame seeds to the linguine. Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. **Do-Ahead Tip: cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
• One hour before serving, remove the salad from the refrigerator and toss with more dressing if needed. Garnish with the remaining 2 T. of peanuts and 1 T. of sesame seeds.
• Note from contributor - I omit the 2 T. vegetable oil and use water in it's place. The dressing is a bit thinner, but healthier. Additions I enjoy: 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, several radishes - slivered, red pepper flakes for some "heat", and chopped red pepper for their vitamins and a splash of color.