Cook : Sesame Noodles Recipe

Sesame noodles is one of my go to dishes for picnics because it's flavorful and holds up well while being light yet satisfying. It's also super simple to make with ingredients I pretty much always have in my pantry. This is fantastic as a side dish or a main. I like to serve it for dinner sometimes along with my Taiwanese cucumber salad as a quick and easy vegetarian meal.

Sesame Noodle Recipe (serves 4)

Ingredients:
12 oz. regular or soba noodles
2 tbsp. tahini (sesame paste)

3 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. rice vinegar

1 tbsp. sesame oil

2 tbsp. mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. lime juice
1 tsp. of chili oil

1 - 2 persian cucumbers, peeled and julienned to 2" strips

1 carrot, peeled and julienned to 2" strips
Optional: 2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:
1. Cook noodles until just tender, rinse well under cold water and drain.
2. Add 2 tbsp. water to the tahini and thin it into a slightly watery paste.
3. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, mirin, lime juice, honey and chili oil to the tahini and mix well.
4. Pour the sauce over the noodles, cucumber and carrot and toss thoroughly to coat.

5. This can be served immediately at room temperature or refrigerated for an hour or two if you prefer it chilled. It will keep up to a few days in the refrigerator. You can refresh it with a few drops of sesame oil and mirin the next day as it does tend to dry out once chilled.