Lunch or Dinner
I have never met a noodle I didn't like. This dish serves as a very flavorfull base for serving up whatever you've got in the way of leftovers: from chicken to thinly sliced flank steak to shrimp and whatever veggies you have in the house. I can live on this. If you carry your lunch to work, this is something to have in the fridge to toss into your thermal lunch bag. If you already have the broth ready in the fridge, you can toss this together in the time it takes to chop your toppings.
Asian Sesame Noodles
Makes 6 side servings or 3 main dishes
Broth
1 cup light soy sauce
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup black Chinese vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/2 cup Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) or dry Sherry
1 cup (packed) fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/2 red Thai chile or red jalapeño chile or a squirt of Sriracha (get the Flying Goose brand if you can find it--fewer preservatives)
Noodles and garnishes
4 coils bean thread noodles (saifun),* from two 5- to 6-ounce packages
4 cups mung bean sprouts
Peanut-Sesame Sauce
1 large Fuji apple, quartered, cored, cut into matchstick-size strips
1 cucumber, peeled, quartered lengthwise, seeded, cut into matchstick-size strips
5 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup chopped crystallized ginger
Thin apple slices, roasted salted peanuts, toasted sesame seeds
For broth: Bring first 5 ingredients to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Mix in cilantro, cinnamon, coriander, and chile. Remove from heat; steep 45 minutes. Strain into bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)
For noodles and garnishes: Place noodles in large bowl. Add boiling water to cover. Let stand until noodles are soft, separating occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain; return noodles to bowl. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Before using, cover with warm water; drain well.)
Pour 1/4 cup broth into each of 6 shallow bowls. Top with sprouts, noodles, Peanut-Sesame Sauce, apple, cucumber, green onions, and ginger. Garnish with apples, peanuts, and sesame seeds.
*Clear dried noodles, also known as cellophane or transparent noodles; sold in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Asian markets.
This is a super side dish with any Asian meal. Add a steaming bowl of tom kha gai and you have a meal.