To demonstrate how simple and dynamic sesame seeds can be, I stepped into the kitchen and cooked up a quick lunch of thin ramen with colorful veggies, and seasoned it with sesame oil & seeds.
The best part of this recipe is in its flexibility. You can do a speedy stir-fry or a healthy noodle salad. You can prepare a large batch and keep leftovers for the next couple of lunches. You can modify the recipe with different noodles (soba or angel hair), different vegetables, or be creative with whatever ingredients you have in the kitchen. Sesame seeds complement almost any dish!
Easy and time-saving - yet satisfying - this recipe is the healthy solution to any frantic day.
Just remember to throw in the magical sesame seeds - toasted or non-toasted - for that extra taste, texture, nutrients...and look.Whoever said looks are important, hasn't stared at a frozen dinner long enough.
Sesame noodles (Two ways or more) by Season with Spice
Ingredients:
3 servings of Thin ramen noodles* (or soba or linguine)
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
2 tbsp white sesame seeds
Seasoning:
1 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
general dash of white pepper
Salt to taste
The process:
Preparation -
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions. Once cooked, rinse noodles over with cold water, then drain.
2. Toast the sesame seeds on low-medium heat in a frying pan, shaking the pan occasionally to evenly cook. Heat until lightly browned (should take 3-5 minutes). Set aside.
For stir-fry -
1. Heat oil in a wok or skillet. Add garlic, red onion, and chili. Stir-fry for a few seconds on medium fire, or until fragrant.
2. Add in the snow peas first and stir fry for a few seconds. Throw in the bell peppers and continue to stir fry for 3 minutes until all vegetables are cooked.
3. Toss in the cooked noodles, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and dash of white pepper. Do a quick swirl to combine seasoning, noodles and vegetables.
Transfer to plate, and sprinkle on toasted sesame seeds.
For salad -
1. Mix all the seasoning ingredients in a bowl to make a dressing.
2. Add in the cooked noodles and vegetables.
3. Top with sesame seeds when ready to eat. You can also garnish it with plenty of fresh herbs such as cilantro, chives or spring onion.
Notes:
1. This recipe is just a basic guide, so use your favorite veggies (or whatever you have in left in the refrigerator). Vegetables such as carrot, cucumber, cabbage and broccoli work really well with both stir-fry and noodle salad. For the stir-fry, you can also add in shrimp.
2. I use my favorite thin ramen noodles from Taiwan for this recipe. The noodles have a nice springy texture, after cooking and rinsed over with cold water (rinsing with cold water is important to get rid of the excess starch and prevent the noodles from over-cooking )
3. Toasting sesame seeds helps bring out the flavor, but unfortunately damages the healthy fats. You can save time by skipping the toasting step and adding them in during the stir-fry process, or for an even healthier version, sprinkle the non-toasted seeds once the dish is cooked.
Ingredients:
3 servings of Thin ramen noodles* (or soba or linguine)
1/2 medium-size red onion (or 1/2 cup spring onion), diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chopped fresh red chilies, optional
12 fresh snow peas
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
2 tbsp white sesame seeds
Seasoning:
1 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
general dash of white pepper
Salt to taste
The process:
Preparation -
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions. Once cooked, rinse noodles over with cold water, then drain.
2. Toast the sesame seeds on low-medium heat in a frying pan, shaking the pan occasionally to evenly cook. Heat until lightly browned (should take 3-5 minutes). Set aside.
For stir-fry -
1. Heat oil in a wok or skillet. Add garlic, red onion, and chili. Stir-fry for a few seconds on medium fire, or until fragrant.
2. Add in the snow peas first and stir fry for a few seconds. Throw in the bell peppers and continue to stir fry for 3 minutes until all vegetables are cooked.
3. Toss in the cooked noodles, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and dash of white pepper. Do a quick swirl to combine seasoning, noodles and vegetables.
Transfer to plate, and sprinkle on toasted sesame seeds.
For salad -
1. Mix all the seasoning ingredients in a bowl to make a dressing.
2. Add in the cooked noodles and vegetables.
3. Top with sesame seeds when ready to eat. You can also garnish it with plenty of fresh herbs such as cilantro, chives or spring onion.
Notes:
1. This recipe is just a basic guide, so use your favorite veggies (or whatever you have in left in the refrigerator). Vegetables such as carrot, cucumber, cabbage and broccoli work really well with both stir-fry and noodle salad. For the stir-fry, you can also add in shrimp.
2. I use my favorite thin ramen noodles from Taiwan for this recipe. The noodles have a nice springy texture, after cooking and rinsed over with cold water (rinsing with cold water is important to get rid of the excess starch and prevent the noodles from over-cooking )
3. Toasting sesame seeds helps bring out the flavor, but unfortunately damages the healthy fats. You can save time by skipping the toasting step and adding them in during the stir-fry process, or for an even healthier version, sprinkle the non-toasted seeds once the dish is cooked.
