Make your own take out

A lot of young people in DC are fortunate enough (or unfortunately for their bank accounts) to work downtown and have a ton of restaurant choices for lunch.  I, on the other hand, work in what my coworkers refer to as a "food desert." We have very slim pickings for lunch--subway, pot bellys, quiznos, giant salad bar, and not much else. So, I bring lunch almost every day to work.

This week I was inspired to make a cold noodle salad with peanut lime sauce.  At my college there was a little Asian restaurant on campus that served massive quantities of this dish.  I quickly became addicted, and recently--with the help of a college friend--figured out how to make it for myself.  The dish contains udon noodles, sliced up vegetables (I used cucumber, carrots, and green pepper), and optional chicken.  The sauce is a combination of peanut butter, soy sauce, water, lime juice, sesame oil, fresh ginger, garlic, and pepper. Here are a couple of tips:  1) Using crunch peanut butter is a bonus because it is like using peanut butter and sprinkling on peanuts...without actually having to buy peanuts.  2) Sesame oil makes any Asian dish taste more authentic.  To make the sauce you simply whisk together the ingredients.  Then, mix the sauce in with the pre-soaked noodles and veggies.  If you want an extra kick, add some sriracha on top too.