SOBA SESAME

Sesame Soba Noodle Bowl with Bell Peppers and Cucumber

Makes 4 servings: 1 1/2 cups each

Soba is a Japanese-style noodle that’s usually made from buckwheat. It’s cooked very quickly with little energy by use of “lid cooking.” Then, unlike many pasta salads, the noodles aren’t rinsed; they’re tossed with dressing and cooled at room temperature. Soba is a little gooey when prepared in this eco-friendlier manner, but it adds a nice creaminess to the finished dressed noodles. And it’s a cool entrée filled with vivid colors and textures that’ll please persnickety people—and their palates.

• 8 ounces soba noodles or whole wheat angel hair pasta*
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar (preferably brown rice)
• 2 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons mild floral honey or 3 tablespoons local fruit spread or homemade jam
• 1 1/2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon grated scrubbed unpeeled gingerroot
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Asian garlic-chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 large orange or red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup very thinly sliced hothouse cucumber
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
• 1 tablespoon raw sesame seeds

1. Bring 4 cups fresh water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Stir in the noodles and return to a boil. Cover and turn off the heat. Let “lid cook” (cook covered while the burner is off) until the noodles are just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Drain well. (Do not rinse.)
2. Whisk together the vinegar, scallions, honey, soy sauce, gingerroot, and chili-garlic paste in a liquid measuring cup.
3. Place the noodles in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with the oil and toss to coat. Add the dressing and toss again, separating noodles while tossing.
4. Let sit at room temperature to cool slightly, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to help prevent sticking. Then chill in the refrigerator.
5. Just before serving, stir in the bell pepper, cucumber, and cilantro (if using). Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve chilled or at room temperature with reusable chopsticks.

Per serving: 320 calories, 8g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 860mg sodium, 56g total carbohydrate, 1g dietary fiber, 10g protein

*If using angel hair pasta, “lid cook” for 3 minutes, not 6.

SPICY ASIAN PEPPER AND SNOW PEA PASTA SALAD

(Original recipe before I developed it into my eco-friendlier version, SOBA SESAME, for Big Green Cookbook, pg 74.)

Makes 4 servings: 1 1/2 cups each

• 3 fluid ounces rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
• 1 tablespoon peeled, grated gingerroot
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Asian garlic-chili sauce
• 8 ounces dried angel hair pasta
• 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup snow peas, thinly sliced

1. Whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the scallions, gingerroot, and garlic-chili sauce; set aside.
2. Cook the pasta in 2 quarts (8 cups) boiling water until tender; drain.
3. Toss the hot pasta with sesame oil; add the sauce mixture and toss again. Chill in the refrigerator.
4. Once cool and just before serving, stir in the peppers and pea pods. Garnish with the chopped fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve warm or cool.

• Sweeten with locally sourced honey, fruit spread, or jam instead of sugar, when possible. It’ll help shrink your carbon footprint since your sweetener will be less traveled.
• Replace “white” pasta with buckwheat or whole grain pasta/noodles. It’s less processed and more nutritious.
• Use less water in the cooking process. Water will come to a boil faster, saving cooking energy and time.
• Prepare all pastas/noodles using my “lid cooking” technique. It takes the same amount of time while using significantly less cooking energy.
• Let hot foods cool for about 30 minutes before chilling in the refrigerator. Then you won’t need to use extra energy to cool the foods in the fridge.
• Reduce bowl use by measuring and mixing sauces or dressings in a measuring cup instead of measurers and bowls and by tossing salads directly in serving bowls instead of mixing bowls. That means there will be less to wash and less effort on your part while preventing our precious resource, water, from being wasted.