Summer is in full swing and the last thing I want to do on a hot day is slave over a hot stove! Cold noodles make for a great summer time dish. Served them room temperature or chilled. These noodles go well with any BBQ meat entrée.

½ package thin spaghetti (8 oz.)
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt for boiling the spaghetti
1 small carrot
½ English cucumber

Sauce:
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter (Skippy brand)
2 teaspoons pure sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried crushed red chili peppers

Preparation:
Peel and slice carrot diagonally into ¼ inch thin pieces and then cut into strips. Put in a small bowl and set aside. Wash (do not peel) the cucumber, slice diagonally into ¼ inch thin pieces and then cut into strips. Put in a small bowl and set aside. Crush, peel and finely mince the garlic. In a small bowl, mix the sauce ingredients together thoroughly and set aside.

To Cook:
In a medium size pot, bring 6 cups water to a boil over high heat. Break the spaghetti in half and place into the boiling water. Add salt and stir well. Boil uncovered for approximately 8 minutes while stirring occasionally. Drain the cooked spaghetti through a colander and drain well (do not rinse with cold water), put in a large bowl and set aside.

In a small sauce pan, bring the sauce mixture to boil over medium-high heat and boil for just a few seconds. Remove  from heat. Pour sauce over spaghetti in bowl. Toss, mix well together and let the noodles rest in the bowl for at least 10 minutes. The noodles will expand just a bit and the sauce will adheres to the noodles. Toss the noodles again before serving. You can also refrigerate and serve cold. Sprinkle cucumber and carrot strips on top of the noodles to serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Is it Italian? Is it American? No, It’s Chinese! I absolutely loved this dish growing up. The combination of hoisin sauce and tomato sauce make for a very tasty dish with a Chinese twist!

1 pound thin spaghetti
8 cups water
2 teaspoons salt for boiling the spaghetti
1 fresh cucumber (about 10 oz.)
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a pot)

Meat Sauce:
1 pound 90% lean ground beef
4 cloves garlic
2 scallions, including the green top
1 teaspoon dried crushed red chili peppers
3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce*
3 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
2 cans tomato sauce (8 oz. each)

Preparation:
Peel and slice cucumber diagonally into ¼ inch thin pieces, then cut into strips. Place the cucumber strips in a small bowl and set aside.  Crush, peel and finely chop the garlic. Wash and trim the green onions, finely chop.

To Cook:
Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, brown garlic, green onions and crushed chili peppers for a few seconds. Add ground beef. Cook and stir for approximately 2 to 3 minutes, until the meat separates. Add Hoisin sauce, soy sauce and tomato sauce into wok or pot. Mix well. Lower heat and cook for approximately 5 minutes with the cover on. Stir the sauce mixture again, cover and cook for 2 more minutes. Turn off heat and let the meat sauce sit with cover on the stove until the spaghetti is ready to serve.

In a medium size pot, bring water to a boil. Break the thin spaghetti in half and place into boiling water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and stir well. Boil the spaghetti for approximately 8 minutes uncovered and stir occasionally. Drain the cooked spaghetti through a colander.

To Serve:
Place a portion of cooked spaghetti in an individual serving plate. Add sauce over the top of the spaghetti and sprinkle a handful of cucumber strips over the meat sauce to serve.

Makes 6 to 8 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: Approximately 18 to 20 minutes

*Hoisin sauce is a sweet brown sauce made from soybeans.  Sold in jars or bottles at the Asian section of most supermarkets.  After opening it can be stored for several month in the refrigerator.

Growing up in California we barbecued all the time. Rather than serving the traditional macaroni or potato salad,  Mom served Chicken Chow Mein as a side dish - A delicious and popular stir-fry noodle dish.

½ package thin spaghetti (8 oz.)
6 cups water and 1-teaspoon salt for boiling the spaghetti
½ pound boneless and skinless chicken breast (about half breast)
½ can sliced bamboo shoots (2.5 oz.) drained
6 shittake dried black mushrooms (soak in warm water for 10 minutes or longer until soft)
1 carrot
½ small yellow onion
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (for cooking in a non-stick wok or a fry pan)
3 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Slice the half chicken breast lengthwise in half. Crosswise cut into ¼ inch thin pieces and then cut into strips. Drain the water from mushrooms, cut off the stems if any. Slice into ¼ inch thin strips. Peel and slice carrot diagonally into ¼ inch thin pieces and then cut  into strips. Slice the onion in-half lengthwise and then cut into ¼ inch thin strips.

To Cook:
In a medium-sized pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Break the spaghetti in half and put into the boiling water. Add salt and stir well. Boil uncovered for approximately 6 minutes while stirring occasionally. Drain the cooked spaghetti through a colander. Heat oil in a non-stick wok or a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, brown onions for a few seconds. Add chicken, cook and stir for 2 minutes until the chicken strips are almost cooked through. Add bamboo shoots, black mushrooms, carrots and mix together. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt and then immediately return the cooked spaghetti into the wok. Stir-fry for approximately 2 minutes until the noodles absorb all the seasoning. Serve hot.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes