Cold Sesame Noodles

To make this a gluten-free dish, be sure to check the ingredients of your buckwheat noodle package. Some varieties do add gluten products. If it's pure buckwheat, you're good to go. Also use wheat-free soy sauce and tofu. Also make sure that you have a strong Chinese sesame oil - it should be dark and very fragrant. This dish is great in the summer when you want something cool and refreshing. It is also a colorful dish with the variety of vegetables.
2/16/15 Made this as a warm dish with spinach, carrots, smoked tofu, shitake mushrooms and the sauce. Served with cold sliced cucumbers dipped in soy sauce on the side. Delicious!

Serves 4

• 16 oz (2 packages) buckwheat noodles (usually wheat free, but check ingredient list)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 1/3 cucumber, cut into thin strips
• 1 or 2 green onions, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• chopped ginger
• sesame oil (dark kind)
• soy sauce/tamari (wheat-free)
• 1 T sugar
• spinach
• salt and pepper
• smoked tofu (or baked tofu if you can find one made with wheat-free soy sauce), sliced into fat strips
• cilantro

1. Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Do not overcook. Rinse immediately with cold water until noodles are cold. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle with some sesame oil.
2. If you have plain tofu, heat it with some garlic, soy/tamari, salt and pepper to add flavor. Otherwise, just heat up the tofu in a skillet.
3. Optionally, you can cook the red pepper. Remove to bowl.
4. Heat the spinach in pan until wilted. Chop.
5. Heat 2 teaspoons sesame oil, chopped ginger and garlic over low heat. Remove from heat and add sugar and 2 T soy. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over noodles.
6. Combine tofu and other vegetables in bowl. Toss to mix.
7. Garnish with cilantro.

Variations

• Add rice wine vinegar to the sauce
• Use meat instead of tofu (shrimp, beef, etc).
• Carrots also make a good addition, for health and color.
• You can substitute peas for the spinach.