Two Chinese-Style Noodle Dishes (酸辣涼粉, 麻醬涼麵)

We tried to use Yam Noodle (蒟蒻), along with traditional noodles made of flour, rice, or mung bean.  Yam Noodle is lauded, in this Slate Magazine article, because it contains no carb and no fat, but it seems to work as well as any regular noodle, as far as taste and texture are concerned.  As a cooking ingredient, yam noodle is easy to find from Chinese markets, and easy to process (see below).  Furthermore, it does not seem to turn mushy too quickly when left in sauce or soup.

I.  Spicy & Sour Cold Noodle (酸辣涼粉)

1. Add 1 can of 14-oz (~350cc, or ~1 1/2 cup) chicken broth (or vegetable broth) and  1 - 1 1/2 can of water, into a medium-sized pot (6-8" in diameter).  Bring to boil.  Pour in 1-lb of yam noodle (see product package above), or 6-8 oz of pre-soaked dry mung bean noodle, i.e., bean vermicelli, 粉絲 (pre-soaked in room temperature water for 15 minutes, as used in this post). Bring to boil again and let simmer for 2 - 3 minutes.  Strain the broth out completely, and set aside.  Let the noodle sit in a larger bowl to cool.  Note- Mung bean noodle would have absorbed most, if not all, the broth, whereas Yam Noodle might not absorb much broth at all, which makes it not as flavorful as other noodles.
2. Add 2 Tbsp of fried or roasted peanuts (see Sep 9 post), 2 Tbsp of fried pickled mustard greens (see Sep 9 post).  Season with 1 - 2 tsp hot-chili-pepper-oil (辣油, see this post), 2 tsp of minced garlic (2 cloves), 2 tsp of vinegar,  2 tsp of soy sauce.   Note- Add 3 - 4 Tbsp of strained-out broth for yam noodle (for mung bean noodle if the mix is still too dry). 
3. Sprinkle sesame oil generously (1 - 2 Tbsp) and 1 - 2 stalks of minced green onion (or cilantro) on top.  Stir evenly.  Add more of your preferred ingredients in the first part of Step 2 above.  Season to taste (by adding 1/2 tsp of soy sauce, and/or 1/2 tsp of vinegar, and/or 1 tsp of hot-chili-pepper-oil a time).  Here is a picture of the finished product.
   

II.   Cold Noodle in Sesame Sauce (麻醬涼麵)

1. Same as Part I Step 1 above.  Use Yam Noodle or Regular Chinese Noodle (but not Mung Bean Noodle).
2. (Noodle Sauce) Add 2 Tbsp of sesame paste (芝麻醬), 2 Tbsp of Creamy Peanut Butter (Chunky Peanut Butter works if you really like peanut chunks), 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce, 1 tsp vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt, and 2 tsp of minced garlic, into a bowl and stir evenly (add 2 tsp of water a time to dilute the paste for ease of stirring).  Note- Use 4 Tbsp of Peanut Butter instead, if Sesame Paste is hard to find in your local Chinese markets.
3. (Optional,  Chicken Slices) Cut a piece of boneless and skinless chicken breast into 2"-squares.  Bring some water to boil in a pot, and cook the chicken pieces thoroughly (i.e., bring to boil again, and simmer for 10-12 minutes). Hand-tear the chicken pieces into slices.
4. Add the optional chicken slices into the bowl of noodle.  Add noodle sauce into the bowl. Stir evenly.  Season to taste (by adding 1/4 tsp of salt a time, and/or 1 tsp of hot-chili-pepper-oil, 辣油-see this post, if you like it spicy).  See picture for finished product (with some cilantro, but w/o chicken slices).