Asian Noodle Salad with Tempeh

If you are a fan of Asian dishes that incorporate peanut sauces or dressings, you will surely enjoy the delicious "Asian Noodle Salad with Tempeh" (page 94). The salad consists of four components: the noodles (linguine or rice noodles, I especially enjoy the Eden brand Brown Rice Udon); the vegetables (carrot, red bell pepper, peas, and green onions); the tempeh; and the peanut dressing (a spicy combination of peanut butter, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, rice wine vinegar and more). Something about the combination of these flavors, colors, textures, and spiciness are addictively pleasing to me. Good thing my husband was around to share this with, otherwise I might have embarrassed myself by eating it all in one sitting!

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

                                                                                                                    

• "Brown" the tempeh in a non-stick skillet, omitting the oil called for. Although you will not end up with truly "browned" tempeh, it will still be completely suitable in the salad.  

• The recipe calls for tossing the cooked noodles in sesame oil; you can skip this altogether and just rinse the noodles well under cold running water to prevent sticking (this is what I did). However, if you really want the flavor of the sesame oil, use just ½ teaspoon (instead of the tablespoon called for).

• Use whole grain noodles of your choice.