Asian noodles come in all sizes, shapes, and ingredient-profiles. Fat, skinny, long, short, chewy, curly, buckwheat, rice, glutenous, or gluten-free. Japan, China, Korea, and eaters in just about every Southeast Asian country embrace the humble noodle. The recipe possibilities are limitless:
- Salads
- Stir fry
- Soup
A constant across every Asian noodle recipe I tackle is lots and lots of veggies — more, typically, than the recipe calls for. I treat the veggies as the main event, and the noodles as a happy treat, just enough to turn the dish into comfort food. And yet.
The noodle-veggie ratio depends a lot on my mood. A bad mood calls for comforting udon – thick, chewy wheat noodles, and a high noodle-veggie ratio. One evening last week, right before I was ready to start dinner, I opened an email from a friend who told me I.C.E. was shoving people into unmarked vans in her suburban Chicago neighborhood, on Halloween. Mood-depressing news like this calls for comfort food. (And protesting and voting!)
Lately I’ve been fantasizing about lighter, fraught-free dinners. This coming week I plan on taking a mental health break, by going news-free at least two days. I’ll treat myself to a movie (Springsteen: Deliver me from Nowhere), and take at least one very long walk with a friend. Those days will call for lighter, happier meals. (Especially the day I go to the movies, because I’m incapable of not eating a tub of popcorn). I’m thinking delicate rice vermicelli noodles.
(News flash! Speaking of taking a mental health break, I’ve started a House Concert Series in my Cambridge, MA home. If you’re interested, send me an email at marla@marlafelcher.com and ask to be put on the invitation list).
Noodle Recipes For When You’re Feeling…
No matter what your mood, any dish involving any type of Asian noodle is worthy of adding to your weekly dinner rotation. And will bring you at least a modicum of comfort. Enjoy!
Cabbage and Tofu Mei Fun: [Mood:😸] I learned about the brilliant Chinese-Australian recipe creator, Hetty McKinnon, a few years ago, through NYT Cooking. Then, Cooking published an occasional Hetty recipe, but in my opinion, too few. It appears Hetty had many like-minded fans. Now, she’s a NYT Cooking regular. If you’re not a subscriber, you can find gobs of inspired recipes like this one on her website, sans paywall. The beauty of Hetty’s recipes is how much flavor she packs into a dish with so few ingredients. You can bake your own tofu for this one, or go a simpler route, and buy pre-baked, which you can find in just about any grocery store. My favorite is Hodo, but if you can’t find it, Trader Joe’s and Nasoya are (almost as) delicious, and work, too.
Simple Udon Veggie Stir Fry: [Mood:😠] Consider this recipe a template. It calls for julienned veggies, which take too long to chop. I prefer larger chunks of veggies. Depending on your preference, this simple, quick dish will work for you. With any veggies and any type of noodle.
15-Minute Chili-Garlic Udon: [Mood:🤬] Save this for a day when you need a lot of comfort. Thick, chewy udon noodles, smothered in chili-garlic sauce, with a shot of high-protein, oh-so-good-for-you edamame (shelled frozen) = savory, spicy goodness, in a single bowl.
Miso Crispy Soba Soup with Crispy Tofu: [Mood:😌] Recently, a friend sent an email asking for recipes that used miso. Immediately, I thought of soup. What is miso? Yotam Ottolenghi describes the umami-rich soybean paste here. Available in the Asian food section of your grocery store, a tablespoon or two of miso adds deep flavor to any dish. (Last night I made this butternut squash soup with miso; the result was otherworldly). This cozy miso-rich soup takes 30 minutes or less to make, is protein-packed, nutrient-rich, and low-cal. A trifecta!
Ginger Sesame Noodles with Veggies: [Mood:😋] I always double the veggies in this recipe. It calls for green beans and red cabbage, two veggies I rarely have on hand. Broccoli, carrots, bok choy, whatever you have will work. You can add tofu or leave it out. I don’t think it’s necessary here, especially if you pile on the veggies. And yet. If you want an extra shot of protein, tofu is never a bad idea.
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