One of the things we most love about our new Noodles with Miso Sesame Sauce kit is how versatile it is. We often use them to utilize whatever vegetables we find in our fridge.
This is less of a recipe than a template you can adapt. This bowl has one roasted item (beautiful romanesco, which is in the cauliflower and broccoli family), one quick pickle (red radishes), a simple protein (fried tofu), and a sautéed item (chanterelle mushrooms). We made this in fall but you can easily substitute ingredients to make this any time of year.
That may seem like a lot of steps for one dinner but think of it as a pallet you can choose a few colors from. Maybe you only want a pickle and a protein. Maybe it’s just a roasted veggie and a pickle. Maybe it’s just a sautéed item and that’s it! All options can make a delicious dinner. Since the noodles and sauce only take 2 minutes to boil and then toss together, you can put a little extra love into making sure the toppings are just what you want!
Active time: 30 minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Makes 2 servings
1/2 bunch red radishes, half a daikon, or 1 cucumber
1/4 cup rice vinegar
Pinch sugar
Sea salt
1 head romanesco, cauliflower, or fennel
4 tablespoons neutral oil like sunflower
1/2 pound mushrooms (chanterelles, shiitake, oysters, or hedgehogs would all be especially great)
1/2 lemon (optional)
2 pieces fried tofu (or substitute soft-boiled egg, pan-fried tempeh, shredded chicken, or whatever you’d like)
1 package Umi Organic Noodles with Miso Sesame Sauce
Optional additions:
Chili oil
Sliced green onion
Toasted sesame seeds or peanuts
Fresh cilantro
Directions
Start heating a large pot of water over high heat. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Make the Quick Pickle: Remove the leaves from the red radishes or daikon and slice as thinly as you can with a knife or a mandolin (be careful!) Toss in a bowl with a heavy pinch of salt and a very light pinch of sugar. Pour in just enough rice vinegar to barely cover and set aside. Quick pickles can — and should — be made several hours and up to two days in advance. The red of the radish skin with turn the entire pickle a beautiful hot pink if left to sit a few hours. Eat within 5 days.
Roast the Romanesco/Cauliflower: Cut off the browning stem, slice the head of romanesco in half, set each half cut side down and the cut off florets into bite sized pieces. Place on a baking sheet and using your hands, toss with two tablespoons oil and a heavy pinch of salt. Place in the oven and bake 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and using a spatula flip florets over to get even browning. Bake another 5 minutes, tasting a floret to ensure it’s tender. If it needs more time, bake another 5 minutes and check again. Set aside.
Sauce the Mushrooms: Slice or tear the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces, discarding any stems if they are woody. Heat a pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoon oil and warm until it shimmers. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium heat, stirring often. Don’t crowd the mushrooms in the pan or else they might stew instead of saute and release lots of juice. Add a pinch of salt. Continue stirring until the mushrooms wilt, emit delicious aroma, and are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, squeeze the lemon over the top and set aside.
Cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces.
Cook the Noodles: Tease apart the noodles and drop into the boiling water. Start a timer for 2 minutes. Stir occasionally to loosen the noodles. When the timer rings, drain the noodles in the colander and rinse briefly under cold running water. If you want a hot noodle bowl, shake out the water thoroughly and proceed. If you want a cold noodle salad, using your fingers once the noodle have cooled a little to make sure all the noodles get chilled.
Add noodles to a bowl and toss with Miso Sesame Sauce. Put half in another bowl. Top each bowl with the veggies, tofu and optional toppings. Enjoy!
Photo by Shawn Linehan
