Spicy sesame soba noodles

In-keeping with the soba noodles theme, I was keen to try out another Japanese-inspired dish this evening.  I love all things spicy and had a craving for something with a kick of sesame in there... so eventually ended up playing around with some condiments I had kicking about in the cupboard.


As with cha soba noodles, soba noodles are made from buckwheat - hence the dark brown colour as opposed to the lighter colour of udon or ramen noodles.  However what they lack in visual appeal, they make up for in flavour as these are nutty, earthy and full of flavour.


So... what to do.


For the sesame chilli sauce you need:


2 tbsp Toasted sesame dressing
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 red chilli, finely sliced


What to do:


Mix all these ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

For the noodles you will need:

2x 2oz bundles of soba noodles

What to do:

Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the noodles - cook for 4-5 minutes until just tender and then drain.

Rinse thoroughly with cold water.

Next, add the noodles back to the pan with the sauce and cook on a medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until heated through.

And there you go... sesame soba noodles in a jiffy! 

Cha soba and edamame surprise...

OK so it's not a surprise as such... more of a dead giveaway as you can see exactly what's in the dish.  However, I was surprised at just how tasty cha soba noodles are.  Soba noodles are a recent discovery of mine - they're made from a blend of buckwheat and wheat flour, producing a slightly nutty taste which is heartier than most traditional wheat flour noodles.  Buckwheat is awash with rutin - a strong antioxidant, so you really do get more bang for your buck.  Cha soba noodles have the added bonus of matcha green tea extract, meaning that these noodles really are a nutritional powerhouse - as well as being damn tasty.  Cha soba noodles are less earthy and more fragrant than traditional soba noodles, and are usually eaten by the Japanese on special occasions.  They're also great cold in salad dishes, as are ordinary soba noodles.


Ingredients:


2oz Cha soba noodles
1/2 Cup edamame beans
1 baby bok choy,sliced
1 red chilli, finely sliced
2-3 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 a dozen sugar snap peas
1 tbsp hot sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp water


What to do:


Boil a pan of water and add the noodles and edamame beans.  The noodles will take around 6 minutes too cook, as will the edamame (if using frozen; if using fresh add them half way through cooking the noodles).  I use the same pan because a) it saves on washing up and b) it can't hurt to have the extra nutrients in the noodle water!
In the mean time, mix the sweet chilli sauce, chilli, soy sauce, sesame oil and water in a small dish.
When the noodles are ready, drain into a sieve and rinse thoroughly with cold water and set aside.
Heat a small amount of sesame oil in a pan and add the mushrooms, bok choy and peas and sautee for 1-2 minutes, and then add the noodles and edamame together with the sauce mixture.
Heat through for a further 1-2 minutes and then serve.


Eat, and enjoy!

Udon anyone?

I've been craving Asian food of late, and so recently been indulging in my penchant for herbs, spices and sauces and landed firmly in the arena of soups.  Being winter this side of the world, it only seems right that one should be tucking in to a hearty feed of slurpy, spicy soup.


The 'recipe' for this is embarrasingly simple and incredibly quick to create.  Perfect if you've just got in from a hard day at the office and the last thing you want to think about is what to feed yourself or the troops for dinner.


What you need:


1 Baby bok choy, sliced
Half a dozen or so sugar snap peas
1 Red chilli, finely sliced
1/2 a carrot, peeled and finely sliced (I use the slicing side of a cheese grater)
2 or 3 mushrooms
1 Pack udon noodles
1 Veg/chicken/mushroom stock cube
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil


What to do:


Boil the kettle and add the stock cube to the pan with 1 1/2 cups boiling water, stirring until the stock cube has dissolved. 
Throw in the chilli, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil and carrot and cook on high for 2 minutes.
Add the noodles, bok choy, mushrooms and peas and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, or until noodles are tender.


Serve!


There you go, a spicy, healthy winter warmer in around ten minutes from start to finish.  Not bad eh?