Cold Sesame with Raw Zucchini, Carrot and Cucumber (Spiralized) Noodles

Cold Sesame with Raw Zucchini, Carrot & Cucumber Noodles

When I was a kid my parents would take us all to a Chinese restaurant in Flushing, Queens called The Happy Dumpling. I was just beginning to be adventurous beyond wonton soup and Cold Sesame Noodles were soon my jam! The waitress would mix all the ingredients at the table, a great way to keep restless kids entertained. The entire family loved that dish and it was the highlight of our meal there.

Spiralizer

My friend and fitness trainer guru Dishan - who runs a great gym in Greenpoint called Human@Ease gave me a Spiralizer! This nifty kitchen gadget allows you to make raw pasta from vegetables like zucchini and carrots. It's a great alternative to eating wheat pasta, since let's face it - pasta in the quantities I am capable of eating it in causes obesity. Plus it's all about the sauce. Zucchini does a good job of mimicking spaghetti's texture, too.
Our favorite dish to make is raw zucchini pasta with pesto. Dishan serves it with baked salmon, which is healthy and delicious. Then I remembered the good old The Happy Dumpling days and thought it would be a perfect recipe for the spiralizer since it's a cold dish with lots of veggies anyhow.
I found this Cold Sesame Noodle Recipes from Saveur and instead of the noodles we spiraled zucchini, carrots and a cucumber. The results were fantastic. It was just as I remembered it, but even healthier.
We suspect the cucumber watered the sauce down a bit so next time we plan to drain it over a strainer before mixing. The only changes I made aside from the noodles are that I used Thai Chili paste instead of the Chili Garlic paste and I forgot to add the sugar the original recipe called for, but in the end it didn't need it. This was super easy and a winning recipe. I will be making this again. Maybe for a Chinese food themed dinner party... Stay tuned.

Cold Sesame Noodles with Raw Zucchini (Spiralized) Pasta

2 Peeled Carrots Spiralized

2 Zucchini Spiralized

1 Peeled Cucumber 

For sauce

¼ cup toasted sesame oil
3½ tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. sesame paste
2 tbsp. smooth peanut butter
1 tbsp. sugar
2½ tsp. thai chili paste
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 (1½") piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Chopped roasted peanuts, to garnish

Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Toss with spiraled veggies.

That's it! Try it and let me know!