Vegan MoFo 2010: One Love Spicy Thai Noodles

So far, one of my favorites. This gem is also from Blossoming Lotus Vegan World Fusion Cuisine, by Mark Reinfeld and Bo Rinaldi.

20 minutes prep/ 20 minutes cooking/ 2 servings

6 C              Filtered water

8 oz            Udon, soba or rice noodles

2 Tbl           Toasted sesame oil

1 1/2 C         Broccoli flowerettes, in 1/2” pieces

2 tsp           Garlic, minced

1 1/2 C         Red bell pepper, julienned (1 medium pepper)

1/4 C           Water for sauté

1 small         Lime leaf, sliced thin (optional)

1/4 C           Green onion, diced

3 Tbl           Shoyu, or to taste

1 1/2 Tbl      Cilantro, chopped

1/4 tsp         Cayenne pepper

Sea salt, to taste

Black pepper, ground to taste

Black sesame seeds, for garnish

Loving preparation

1. Bring 6 C of filtered water to boil in a 3 qt pot. Add noodles, reduce heat to simmer and cook until pasta is slightly al dente. Rice noodles cook in minute ir less; udon or soba approximately 5 minutes. Drain, rinse well in cold water and place in a large bowl with a small amount of oil to prevent sticking. (I used precooked, frozen udon that can be bought at the “oriental markets” that this city is lucky to have. So no need to cook them; just left them out all day to defrost... and it was so cold that they DID take all day to defrost.)
2. While pasta is cooking, add oil, garlic and broccoli to a medium size sauté pan and cook over medium high heat for 3 minutes stirring frequently, adding more water if necessary, to prevent sticking to the pan. Add to pasta with remaining ingredients and gently mix well. Top with black sesame seeds.

Variations

• Add 1/2 C coconut milk with 1 Tbl peanut butter to above when combining all ingredients together.
• Top with chopped peanuts, toasted coconut and a dash of crushed red pepper flakes.
• As a main course bowl, add 4 oz of grilled tempeh cubes. (I used tofu, cut in cubes.)

My notes

I didn’t have broccoli, so I used 3 C mushrooms cut in 4, 1 C carrots and 2 red bell peppers. No green onion, either, but I can imagine that it lifts the flavors, so will make a point of having some the next time I make this dish. It has been by far my favorite recipe, and my boyfriend’s too (did I mention that already???).

Lovely close-up, for your enjoyment.