cold sesame noodles with tofu

my friends calvo and second hand rose from flickr liked the looks of my noodles so much, that i decided to post the recipe here.

it's from the premiere episode of chow magazine which is a great little publication. you should pick it up! (thanks for the gift subscription, katie kat! *smoooches!*)

here's what it looks like



and here's the recipe:

2 1/2 oz dry udon or buckwheat noodles
2 tbs veg oil
4 oz tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
salt and pepper
2 tbs pure sesame oil
1 tbs peeled and chopped fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 pinch red chili flakes
1 green onion, sliced
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs sugar
1 small cucumber, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/8 inch pieces
1 samll red pepper, sliced into thin strips

bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. cook the noodles until tender. drain, rinse well with cool water, and drain again: set aside

heat a saute pan over high heat. after a minute, add the veg oil and heat it until it begins to smoke. with a spatula, carefully place the tofu in the pan. brown both sides of the tofu. remove the tofu and place it on a paper towel to drain. sprinkle with salt and pepper

add the sesame oil, ginger and garlic to the warm pan. cook over low heat to infuse the oil with the flavors; the garlic and ginger should not brown at all. remove the pan from the heat and add the chili flakes.
using a rubber spatula, scrape the ginger mixture into a mixing bowl. add the green onion, soy sauce, lemon juice and sugar, and mix. add noodles, cucumber and bell pepper. toss well and eat!