Anna Jones' Lemongrass, Peanut, and Herb Noodle Salad

As you know, I'm cooking my way through Anna Jones' new book A Modern Way to Cook: 150+ Vegetarian Recipes for Quick, Flavor-Packed Meals.  (Not in a Julie & Julia kind of way, I'm just trying out some new recipes.) In an effort to clear out my fridge of items that were destined for a trip to the compost bin, I decided to make her recipe for Lemongrass, peanut, and herb noodle salad.

Well, mostly....I didn't have lemongrass, so I substituted ginger and lemon zest.  I also have a drawer of various types of pasta that I'm sure you've never heard of; yet, not one single package of rice vermicelli.  I wound up using ramen.  I left out the green onions and cilantro (my daughter thinks it tastes like soap) and used Thai basil and mint from my garden instead.  I also used some Honee Bee-Free Plant Based Vegan Honey instead of maple syrup or regular honey.

Again, a simple and unassuming recipe, that is packed full of flavor.  Layer the noodles with the matchstick sliced carrots and cucumbers, shredded lettuce and sliced avocado,  Place a few slices of tofu that were marinated, then fried and coated with a peanut sauce.  Top it all off with some crushed peanuts, herbs, and the lime, soy and honey dressing.  I added a bunch of hot peppers to mine, but I left my tiny human's version pepper-free.  I wasn't sure about this recipe because it seemed too simple, but it turned out amazing!  It also made an equally great cold lunch the next day.