Rice-Stick Noodles With Exotic Mushrooms
Soba (Buckwheat Noodles) With Snow Peas
Vietnamese-Style Bean-Thread Noodles
Sesame Noodles (cold)
Asian Noodles Defined
Buckwheat noodles (soba): A spaghetti-shaped noodle combining hearty-
tasting buckwheat flour with wheat or whole wheat flour.
Buckwheat variations (jinenjo soba, lotus root soba, mugwort soba): These
soba noodles contain a mixture of wheat and buckwheat flour plus the
ingredient for which they are named. All are delicately flavored.
Bean-thread noodles (also called cellophane noodles, harusame, saifun,
mung bean noodles): Fine, transparent noodles made of mung bean starch.
Cooked by soaking in hot water, these delicately flavored, wheat-free
noodles come in 2-ounce bundles.
Rice-sticks (also called mei fun, bifun, rice vermicelli) and rice noodles
: Long, fine noodles made of white rice flour, with the same mild flavor
and tender texture of white rice. These are cooked by soaking in hot
water. Rice noodles, wider and flatter than rice-sticks, are popular in
Thai cookery.
Somen: These spaghetti-shaped noodles are imported from Japan, where they
are traditionally eaten cold during the summer months. A smooth-textured
whole wheat version is available in natural food stores.
Udon: Long, somewhat thick noodles akin to linguine. The whole wheat
variety of this Japanese import is available in natural food stores and
has a smoother texture and milder flavor than domestic whole wheat pastas.
Rice-Stick Noodles With Exotic Mushrooms
Serves: 4 to 6
8-ounce bundle rice stick noodles
1 ounce dried shiitake or cloud-ear mushrooms
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups firmly packed thinly sliced napa or savoy cabbage
15-ounce can oyster (shimeji) or straw mushrooms
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 cups liquid from canned and dried mushrooms
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Bring water to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan. Immerse the bundle of
rice sticks and soak for 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are al dente.
When the noodles are done, drain them, place them on a cutting board, and
chop in several places to shorten. At the same time, combine the dried
mushrooms in a heatproof dish with enough boiling water to cover them.
Soak for about 30 minutes, then drain. Remove tough stems and cut them
into thin strips about 2 inches long. Reserve the liquid. In the
meantime, heat the oils in a stir-fry pan or wok. Add the onion and
stir-fry over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and cabbage
and stir-fry over medium-high heat until the cabbage is tender-crisp. Add
the mushrooms and soy sauce and stir-fry for another minute or so. Use a
bit of the mushroom liquid to dissolve the cornstarch. Pour the remaining
liquid into the skillet or wok and stir in the dissolved cornstarch. Add
the cooked rice sticks and toss the mixture together thoroughly but
gently. Serve at once.
Soba (Buckwheat Noodles) With Snow Peas
Serves: 4 to 6
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 large onion, cut in half and sliced
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1 1/2 to 2 cups snow peas
8 ounces soba (buckwheat noodles)
Sauce:
1 1/2 cups canned vegetable stock
3 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce, to taste
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1/2 to 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water
Chopped cashews for topping, optional
Heat the sesame oil in a stir-fry pan or wok. Stir-fry the onion and
carrot over moderately high heat until tender-crisp. Add the snow peas and
stir-fry just until they have lost their raw quality but are still quite
crisp. Break the noodles in half and cook them al dente. Watch them
carefully, as they cook rather quickly. Combine all the ingredients for
the sauce in a small mixing bowl and stir well to combine. When the
noodles are done, drain them and add them to the stir-fry pan along with
the sauce. Toss together. Cook just until everything is thoroughly heated
through and the sauce has thickened. Serve at once, topping each serving
with chopped cashews, if desired.
Vietnamese-Style Bean-Thread Noodles
Serves: 4
2-ounce bundle bean-thread noodles
2 tablespoons peanut or light olive oil
1 largess onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage
2 heaping cups diced fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup very fresh mung bean sprouts
1/2 pound firm tofu, diced
2 to 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, to taste
Dried hot red pepper flakes to taste
Salt to taste
Chopped peanuts for garnish
Thinly sliced fresh basil leaves for garnish, optional
Immerse the bundle of noodles in cold water in a saucepan. Bring to a
boil, remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes, or
until al dente, then drain. When cool enough to handle, place on a cutting
board and cut in several directions to create shorter lengths. In the
meantime, heat the oil in a stir-fry pan or wok. Add the onion and
stir-fry over medium heat until translucent. Turn up the heat, add the
garlic and cabbage and stir-fry until the cabbage is tender-crisp and
lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sprouts and
continue to fry, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes are soft and the
sprouts tender-crisp, another 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, tofu,
and red pepper flakes, and cellophane noodles. Cook, stirring, until
everything is well heated through. Serve at once, garnishing each serving
with chopped peanuts and the optional basil.
Sesame Noodles (cold)
Crunchy pea pods, green onions and oriental-style noodles are tossed in a
ginger-spiked soy sauce to create this cold noodle dish. The small amount
of sesame oil adds rich flavor without a lot of fat.
1 pound Chinese noodles, or angel hair pasta, uncooked
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce, low sodium
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped (optional)
1 Tbsp ginger root, grated
1 tsp hot chili oil
1 cup green onions, sliced diagonally
1 cup pea pods, fresh
In a large pot, heat water to a boil. Cook pasta in rapidly boiling water
until done. Drain and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, mix together
sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, cilantro, ginger root and
hot chili oil. Add noodles and toss gently to separate the noodles and
distribute the sauce. Add the green onions and toss. Let stand, tossing
occasionally until all the sauce is absorbed into noodles. Add pea pods,
stir and chill.
Linda
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