Oodles of Noodles (and a sauce!)

This recipe was recommended as an ideal accompaniment to a side dish I was making. Simple to make, tasty to eat. And another opportunity to use our wasabi powder (because, seriously, unless you're making a lot of sushi rolls, how else are you to use-up the can of powdered wasabi?).

     Noodles with Mirin
     from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

• 8 ounces noodles (somen, linguni, or whole wheat spaghetti)
• 1/2 cup mirin (or sweet sherry)
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 Tbls vegetable bouillon powder (1 1/2 cubes)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2/3 cup fresh or frozen snow peas or green peas
• 2 tsp powdered wasabi mixed with 2 tsp water
• chopped scallions

1. Bring a large covered pot of water to boil and add the pasta.
2. While the pasta cooks, bring the mirin, 2 cups of water, bouillon powder, and soy sauce to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the peas and cook briefly, until they are tender but still bright green. Stir in the wasabi paste.
3. When the pasta is al dente, drain it and transfer it to a serving bowl. Pour the peas and sauce over the pasta and toss well.
4. Top with chopped scallions and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. (To serve at room temperature, allow the finished dish to sit for 12 to 20 minutes. To serve chilled, refrigerate for at least an hour.)

I'd say this counts as one of my sauces/dressings, no? What are we on now...?

Curried Corn & Peppers

It's high summer, which means... You said it: CORN! It's too good not to buy, but once home it can feel overwhelming, having to whip up continuous batches of corn cakes and breads...

Here's a tasty option I discovered this weekend that's even easier (for me) than loading up a giant pot of boiling water:

Curried Corn and Peppers
from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home from the The Moosewood Collective

• 1 cup chopped scallions
• 1 red or green bell pepper, diced
• 1 Tbl butter
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cut corn
• 2 tomatoes
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Saute the scallions and bell pepper in the butter on medium heat for about 2 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and the corn. Chop the tomatoes and add them to the skillet. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are thoroughly heated. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The cookbook suggests this is a dish that can "play many roles," and they suggest it as a filling for an omelet or burrito (both sound good to me) or as a side accompanying flavored rice dishes or a stuffing for pita bread.