(recipe) warm vegetables on cool noodles and cilantro-lime soy sauce

[Guest guest]

warm vegetables on cool noodles and cilantro-lime soy

sauce

 

i got this recipe from the best of vietnamese and thai

cooking by mai pham (prima publishing, 1995). i ended

up adapting it a bit, for instance, i didn't have mint

leaves, so i used cilantro instead and i didn't have

dried black mushrooms, so i used dried shitakes

instead. i also left out the step of blanching the

broccoli and carrots in boiling water....i just stir

fried them along with the onion. (one less pot to

clean!) the cilantro-lime sauce is soooo good! for

the sauce, i don't have a mortar and pestle, so i just

chopped the ingredients finely and then smashed them

with the blade of the knife on the cutting board and

then scraped them into the jar.

 

warm vegetables on cool noodles

serves 4

 

make sure you have all the ingredients prepared before

you start to cook. the actual cooking time for this

dish is only minutes.

 

noodles

1/2 pound dried rice vermicelli (found at asian

markets), boiled in water for 4 to 5 minutes, rinsed,

and drained

2 cups bean sprouts

1/2 small cucumber, seeded and juliennned

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, cut in half

3 romaine lettuce leaves, shredded

 

topping

1 cup julienned carrots

2 cups broccoli florets, cut into small, then pieces

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small yellow onion, sliced

6 dried black mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30

minutes, stemmed, then thinly sliced

2 cups shredded napa cabbage

1 medium red bell pepper, julienned

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons chopped roasted peanuts

 

accompaniment

cilantro-lime soy sauce (recipe follows)

 

after the rice vermicelli have cooled, gently toss

with the bean sprouts, cucumber, mint, and lettuce

until well blended. set aside.

 

bring water to a rolling boil in a medium pot. using

a sieve with a handle, blanch the carrots and broccoli

until colors turn, about 10 seconds. shock in ice

water immediately. drain and set aside.

 

just before serving, heat the oil in a large wok or

skillet over high heat. wit for the pan to get very

hot, almost smoking. carefully add the onion and stir

until it begins to soften, about 30 seconds. add the

mushrooms and sauté for 1 minute. add the carrots,

broccoli, napa cabbage, and red bell pepper and

stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes more. vegetables should

be very hot and sizzling. push the vegetables to one

side of the pan and add the soy sauce to the open area

to create a distinctive fragrance. then continue

stirring the vegetables for another minute and then

remove from heat.

 

to serve, place noodle mixture in individual bowls.

top with stir fried vegetables. garnish with roasted

peanuts. invite each guest to drizzle cilantro-lime

soy sauce on the noodles and toss gently before

eating.

 

cilantro-lime soy sauce

makes about 2/3 cup

 

1 clove garlic

2 fresh thai chilies and/or

1 teaspoon ground chili paste, or to taste

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly

sliced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice with pulp

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons sugar

 

place the garlic, chilies, chili paste, and ginger in

a mortar and pound into a paste. transfer paste into

a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and add the

remaining ingredients. mix well until sugar is

dissolved. sauce may be stored in the refrigerator up

to 2 weeks.

 

 

 

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