Image Via Heidi Face for Atlanta Magazine
It is FRIDAYYYYY!!! What started as the strangest weekend became the strangest week and now in the blink of an eye it is almost weekend again. Weird. Praying this weekend goes a wee bit smoother than last. Let’s just say that a tree fell on a car in front of our house from a crazy storm for the SECOND TIME in the last year. My girls and I spent Wednesday night at my Dad’s new house North of Atlanta and then my girls decided they wanted to stay one extra night so I am sitting here alone in a quiet house writing this post. I have two half-sisters that are 17 and 14 so my girls absolutely LOVE going over there to play. My sisters are so sweet with them and they literally disappear from the moment we walk into their front door. Winnie and my younger sister Stella played Littlest Pet Shop all day and my older half-sister Olivia and Addie were little bracelet making machines! I am meeting my stepmom halfway to get them here shortly but I wanted to pop in first and share Mark’s cooking debut!!!
As you have possibly seen on my IG stories for quite some time now, Mark is a ridiculously good cook. It all started about three years ago when he started wanting and asking to make dinner more and more often. He quickly determined that he truly enjoyed it and that it was his magic stress reliever from a bad day at work. A wife’s literal dream come true. Especially for this girl who absolutely HATES to cook! He started mostly with grilling meat and then I would make the veggies but that eventually became him taking it all over and now over the last year or so he has ventured into more and more recipe creations. I have no clue how he has learned so much other than a love for eating and a lot of trial and error but I am sure not complaining! I would swear that his meals are better than 99.9% of restaurants. And believe me, I am a tough critic!
Last week Mark, my sister, her hubby and I went out to celebrate her birthday and ate at the yummiest Asian fusion style restaurant. We ordered cold, bouncy peanut noodles to share and we were all OBSESSED. We ended up ordering another serving and I swear I craved them for the next week. That Sunday evening I kept begging Mark for us to all go again but he swore he could recreate the dish. I mean I guess I kind of believed him but they were just SO GOOD at the restaurant. Let me tell you though… he NAILED IT! The fact that he can taste and recreate is mind blowing to me. I cannot even recreate a grilled cheese sandwich. So needless to say, they have quickly become a household fave and the girls even love them too (without any cayenne pepper)!
Here is Mark’s Recipe for Asian Style Cold, Bouncy Peanut Noodles…
Ingredients:
1 Package Hokkien Stir Fry Noodles
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp Peanut Butter
2 1/2 Tbsp Honey
3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp White Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper (optional/to taste)
1/2 Cucumber Diced
Sesame Seeds (Garnish)
Directions:
Cook noodles per directions on package and strain thoroughly. Toss noodles in 1 Tbsp Olive Oil and then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to an hour. This will prevent them from sticking together. Use a small-medium sized nonstick skillet and turn the stove on low heat. Add sesame oil to the pan and then all remaining ingredients except the cucumbers and sesame seeds. Stir and saute until it becomes a thick, even consistency. Dice cucumber. Remove noodles from the refrigerator and add sauce. Mix well and then top with cucumbers and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve cold. Enjoy!
XOXO, Brittany Hayes
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