Salad #87

After my last failed experiment, I'm determined to successfully pull off #87. It sounds like a no-brainer crowd-pleaser:

87. Cold not-sesame noodles: Combine about a half-cup peanut butter with a tablespoon soy sauce and enough coconut milk to make the mixture creamy (about half a cup), along with garlic and chili flakes in a blender or food processor. Toss sauce with cooked and cooled noodles, a load of mint, Thai basil, and/or cilantro, and lime juice. Shredded cucumber and carrots optional.

My advice: don't put peanut butter in a blender. Stick with the food processor.

Also, I made a classic beginner's mistake -- I forgot to check that I had all of the ingredients before proceeding with the recipe (and I didn't feel like dragging the kids to the store). So I had to make do without garlic or lime juice (Avo accidentally bought lemons instead of limes).

Another mistake: instead of shredding the cucumber, I peeled it in long strips. Next time, I'll chop it or shred it (I skipped the carrots entirely).

Instead of Thai basil, I used "a load of mint" (as Bittman recommends) and lots of cilantro. Plus, I decided to top the salad with peanuts to add some crunch. That turned out to be a smart decision, although next time, I would crush the peanuts.

Despite my minor mistakes, the salad turned out to be quite tasty -- the fresh mint and cilantro helped to give it flavor (the garlic was sorely missed).

And now we've got fresh mint to make a Mojito.