Avenue Food: Sesame Noodles

Sesame Noodles

Posted by Sarah Kiino at 7/25/2007 7:07 AM

Categories: Vegetables,Pasta,Main Dishes

While not the most pointless gadget cluttering my kitchen drawer (that distinction belongs to the thingie whose sole reason for being is to make little ribbons of lemon zest), this julienne peeler is clearly a device for suckers. In my defense, I didn't buy it myself; in fact, I'm not sure how it came into my home. One day (pouf!) it was just there, nestled amid the meat thermometers and Microplanes. I swear.

It, sadly, leads a neglected life in the jumble of the drawer, almost never getting a chance to show its stuff. Yeah, sometimes I like my veggies in strips or matchsticks. And yeah, with my amateurish knife skills, I could never achieve the uniformity this thing does. But so what? I'd much rather settle for inelegant results with a knife than risk julienning my palm with those sharp, nasty teeth.

But the julienne peeler seemed the perfect doodad to bring out for the "Crazy Gadget" event hosted by Cathy of Not Eating Out in New York. And I had just the dish in mind to take full advantage of its shredding prowess: lush, fragrant, sesame noodles.

I've been trying to cut back on meat a bit, and veggie-heavy sesame noodles fit this program perfectly.

I must admit, the gizmo did a fine job with the carrot, cucumber, and daikon. And, though it did slip in my hand a couple of times, no Band-Aids or emergency room visits were called for.

My goal for the dressing was twofold: to eliminate the gloppiness that's the unfortunate hallmark of so many of these recipes, and impart loads of bright, lively flavor. If you are a super-duper spice fanatic, use up to one teaspoon red pepper flakes. That's the amount I added the first time testing these noodles, but I ended up eating the whole batch myself (over several days) because Brian couldn't take the heat.

SESAME NOODLES

Dressing:
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
5-6 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar

Mash garlic, sesame seeds, and salt in a mortar. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until combined and sugar is dissolved.

Noodles:
1 pound thin fresh egg noodles
1 cucumber, julienned
1 large carrot, julienned
1 cup julienned daikon
1 red pepper, julienned
5 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Dressing

Cook noodles, drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again well. Toss everything together until well combined.

Categories: Main Dishes, Pasta, Vegetables
Technorati Tags: sesame noodles, pasta, vegetarian recipes

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