Peanut Sesame Pasta

I only have macaroni in my fridge, so...

E and i were at Kem Chicks (a gourmet lifestyle supermarket at Jakarta). We were at pasta section. And i asked E,
Me : Do you like pasta?
E : Umm..Yes.
Me : Do you like peanut butter?
E : Sure i do.
Me : Have you ever consider to mix them together?
E : ....... What??Are u sure?That sounds.... weird.

Yeah. That's what i'm thinking too when i read this recipe from Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite blog. Seriously, you can add peanut butter in pasta? And does it even edible?

I read the recipe over again, it looked like it easy to make, and i have most the ingredients on hand (minus sesame oil). So, what the hell. I tried them. And it no doubt become my favorite pasta! By the time i post this, i've made this pasta again and again. And again.. Oh, how i love you SK!

Peanut Sesame Noodle (or pasta)
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 the hot sauce or chili paste of your choice

For noodles
3/4 lb dried soba nooodles (dried linguine fini or spaghetti will work in a pinch)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
Half a seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
1 cup firm or extra-firm tofu, cubed
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Pour 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.

It's damn easy, right? You can make this in the morning for your lunch. Well, i did :D

*Substitution for sesame oil (for 1 tbsp) : 1 1/2 tsp sesame seeds saute in 1/2 tsp vegetable oil

Galette Charentaise

still hot from the oven

The ingredients are simple. You only need 5 main ingredients : flour, sugar, butter, cold water and salt, which i'm pretty sure you must have them on hand already. Mix them together, bake, done. But still, i need to wake up at 6 (yes, 6 am) to make this french shortbread. Yap, because i need to fridge the dough about one hour before put it in oven.

After my alarm on (luckily i have the spirit of baking the night before), i made myself wake up: double slap the cheeks plus some stretching. Walked up to kitchen, open the fridge, scale all the ingredients-hope i saw the numbers right with the sleepy eyes. Mix them with bare hand, that's what the recipe said. You may want to use one hand to mix the dough, and other hand to clean the other one, because the dough's texture is so crumbly-sticky, especially after you add the cold water. The dough is done, then put it in fridge. Meanwhile, i prepare myself, took a shower, put some make up, had cup of coffee, and ding! It's 1 hour already. Yay~ Bake, another ding moment and... that's my breakfast! :)

I got the recipe from Elra, but i halved the ingredients. That's what i do when i try a new recipe. Bet u all do the same thing, don't you?

Is this how the shortbread's texture supposed to be?

Galette Charentaise
http://elrasbaking.blogspot.com/2008/09/galette-charentaise.html

250 grams all - purpose flour

125 grams soften unsalted butter, cut into pieces

100 grams sugar

1 tablespoon ice cold water

pinch of salt

Egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 1 teaspoon milk, beaten with fork

sliced blanched almond

1. In a large mixing bowl, place flour, butter, sugar, ice cold water and salt. rubs the butter with all other ingredients together with your fingertip until the mixture resemble coarse crumb.

2. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disc, wrap with plastic then refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 180C.

4. Roll the dough into 8" inches circle, transfer to a cookie sheet. Score the surface into criss cross pattern. If desire, you can also create a scalloped pattern around the edge of the dough. Glaze with egg wash and scatter slice almond over the dough.

5. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.

6. Let the galette cool completely before serving.

Question : Can i add extract to richen the shortbread flavor? Cause it's kinda floury when i ate it.