Smoked Gouda Pasta Salad

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INGREDIENTS

1 pound penne pasta

1 garlic clove, minced

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 pound smoked Gouda, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1 (7-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced

2 cups arugula

1 shallot, chopped

1 jar pickled artichokes, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Add next 6 ingredients and cooked pasta. Mix well, and chill 1 hour before serving.(Instead of using just olive oil, I used the olive oil from the sun-dried tomato jar and some of the artichoke jar).

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Basic Noodle Stir-Fry

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INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup dark sesame oil or peanut oil
2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 pound stir-fry noodles
1 onion, sliced
1 bunch asparagus, cut on an angle into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup sugar snap peas
1 red pepper, sliced
1/2 cup mushro0ms, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cabbage
1/2 cup bean sprouts
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DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons sesame oil, the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper.
2. In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the noodles according to package directions.
3. Heat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon sesame oil over high heat. Add the onion and asparagus and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sugar snap peas, red pepper and the sesame oil sauce; cook for 1 minute over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cabbage for 2 minutes more. Lower the heat to medium, add the pasta and cook, stirring, until heated through, 2 minutes. Take skillet off the heat and incorporate the bean sprouts.