Peanut Sesame Noodles

So easy to make, kids love it, perfect for the warm weather ahead--yahhh!!!

Peanut Sesame Noodles
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Servings: Makes 6 side-dish or 4 vegetarian main-course servings.

For peanut dressing:

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup warm water

1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger

1 medium garlic clove, chopped

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons Asian toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes or a splash of hot sauce

For noodles:

3/4 lb dried soba nooodles (I used whole wheat spaghetti)

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips (optional)

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips (optional)

1 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced

1 cup firm or extra-firm tofu, cubed (optional)

3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Puree dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl.
Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain in a colander, then rinse well under cold water.
Add pasta, scallions, bell peppers, cucumber and tofu to dressing, tossing to combine. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Homemade Nearly White Pizza with Arugula

First, you need pizza crust (or pita bread is a nice, quick cheat):

Pizza Dough
3 cups warm water
3 Tbl. yeast
1 Tbl. sugar
3 Tbl. olive oil
2 tsp. salt
about 6 1/2 - 7 cups flour (1/2 white, 1/2 wheat works great)

Dissolve yeast in warm water sprinkled with sugar and let sit and get fluffy, 5 minutes. Add olive oil, salt and flour and knead for about 5 minutes. Rub down a large bowl in olive oil, dump dough and with hands, form into a smooth ball. Let rise, covered with a towel, for about an hour until doubled and ginormous. Punch down and freeze or use.

Nearly White Pizza with Baby Arugula
I work a tennis ball sized ball of pizza dough in my oiled hands into a disc, and then spread it even thinner on a cookie sheet sprinkled lightly with cornmeal. Then, go crazy. I spread pesto as the base, but alfredo or a light tomato sauce would be lovely, followed by small dollups of seasoned ricotta cheese, handfuls of mozzerella cheese, a sprinkling of parmesan and a whirl of tomato sauce. Green onions or fresh basil would've been nice. Throw in a very hot 450* oven for about 10-12 minutes until golden and bubbly. Let sit about 5 minutes before cutting. I tossed baby arugula with olive oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, and then piled on top and served. So good.