Fast food, episode III

And then there were two ... Brad has now joined Cassie among the walking (lying down actually) dead, so I needed something ridiculously quick and easy for dinner for Mom and me. We had some rice noodles in the pantry, so this fit the bill. And it even smelled good enough that Cassie had a few forkfuls, which hopefully means that she's returning to the land of the living. As "fast food" goes, this is as fast as it gets, and I like it better than some other sesame noodles I've had. We'll make this again, even without a dire emergency.

Sesame Noodles

Adapted from Molly Yeh via Food Network and My Name is Yeh

Time: ≤25 minutes

Yeh says you can put her "magic sesame sauce" on all sorts of things besides noodles, including sautéed green beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts (¾ pound, "roasted to a crisp"), and salad.

Sesame sauce
3 tablespoons (51 grams) tamari or soy sauce
3 tablespoons (42 grams) tahini
2 tablespoons (42 grams) honey
1 tablespoon (14 grams) toasted sesame oil
1 garlic clove, smashed or minced (zap it in the microwave for 10 seconds before peeling if raw garlic isn't your thing)
a good pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, more to taste

Noodles
1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
½ pound rice noodles or long pasta such as angel hair or linguine (or spiralized cucumbers)

Serving suggestions
1 or 2 carrots, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
a few scallions, sliced on the bias
sesame seeds

    1. Bring 3 quarts of water to a roiling boil in a large, covered stockpot.
    2. While the water is coming to a boil, put the sesame sauce ingredients in a jar and shake well to combine, or whisk together in a large bowl.
    3. Stir the salt into the boiling water until dissolved. Add the noodles and stir a few times during the first minute or two to keep it from sticking. Cook until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain well again. (Or you can just drain the noodles well, without rinsing, if you prefer to eat them warm.)
    4. Toss the noodles with the sesame sauce. Serve, sprinkling with carrot, scallions, and/or sesame seeds at the table. Serves 2 or 3.