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A perfect warm-weather dish. Keep cool by cooking the noodles in tea the night before serving. The next day, assemble the short list of ingredients, and dinner is on the table.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp (15mL) Japanese Genmaicha green tea
1/2 pound (230g) Chinese water noodles or Japanese udon noodles
1 package firm tofu, well drained
1 package enoki mushrooms
1 package radish sprouts, washed and dried
1 bunch scallions, sliced into thin rounds
1 small bunch cilantro leaves
Light soya sauce, to taste
Japanese sesame oil, to taste
Shichimi togarashi (Japanese spice mixture, available at Asian markets) or freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Bring two quarts water to 180°F (85°C) and add tea. Steep for 3 minutes and pour through a sieve. Reserve liquid for cooking the noodles.
Bring the reserved tea to a boil and add noodles. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until noodles are al dente. Remove from heat and allow the noodles to remain in the liquid until it has cooled. Remove noodles from liquid and place in a bowl, covered, overnight in the refrigerator.
The next day, put tofu on a plate and cover it with several layers of paper towels. Press any excess moisture from it by placing a two-pound weight on top of the paper towels.
Remove weight and paper toweling after 15 minutes. Carefully slice the tofu into 1-inch (2.5cm) cubes and set aside.
Place noodles on four plates. Scatter tofu and remaining ingredients over all. Serve with soya sauce, sesame oil and seasoning.
