What's for Dinner?

[sad_winslow]

Originally Posted by Pie

Ooh, I'd like your sesame noodle recipe, and if you're feeling generous, your mabo (mapo?) dofu!

Arigato!

EDIT EDIT: holy crap, I forgot to mention one thing in the sesame sauce recipe: SUGAR. like a couple teaspoons maybe in there of plain ol' sugar. it makes ALL the difference in the world.

sure

well, the dofu sauce i admit that i get from a packet or a jar, depending on what i can find at the asian store. otherwise extra firm tofu cubed, ground pork, and peas: cook meat, add tofu and peas and sauce, stir gently to not break the tofu up, simmer a bit til it's done and soaked in some of that good flavor, i usually toss a lid on it.

the sesame noodles i use wu-mu dry chinese noodles, which are pretty much just wide linguine-style noodles. they cook nice and fast and have a good flavor for a basic noodle. regular linguine would also work. cook em til they're wiggly, then drain em and rinse repeatedly in cold water til they're.. cold.

the sauce is the important bit, and that i make from scratch: a couple tablespoons of soy sauce (i use a kikkoman low sodium then a splash of regular for a hint of extra salt, but whatever works), red pepper flakes, chopped garlic, ginger, and green onion, a tablespoon or so of rice vinegar, tablespoon or two of sesame oil, a splash of vegetable oil (helps it all stick a little better to the noodles), and a tablespoon or two of hot water. sometimes i cook the noodles in a little beef boullion and use that instead of just plain tap water. adjust to taste, of course - it took me a few tries to get it to how i like it. also, sesame seeds toasted or plain. put the cold noodles in a bowl (preferably with a lid) and add the sauce, shake that stuff up real good and put it in the fridge for a half a day or so to really chill out. a couple more options, too: shredded cabbage, which I forgot to add YET AGAIN today. Cashews, lightly crushed are *awesome*, and so is some boneless skinless chicken breast, marinated in basically the same sauce and pan fried, then stirred into the noodles. and doing it with cashews AND chicken? your face will melt. SO GOOD.

A little memmi sauce thrown in can't hurt either.

I thiiink that's it. summary: it sounds way more complicated than it is. a couple tablespoons of soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, red pepper flake, sugar, green onion, and vegetable oil. mix in pleasing proportions on 8-10 oz of cold noodles. done.