Green Green Onion & Ginger Noodles: Updated 08/12/2011

This post marks my first foray into a food-blogging tradition that I love, Presto Pasta Nights. This week's PPN roundup is hosted by the darling Debbi Does Dinner. Because this is my 1st time with PPN, my apologies to you dear PPN followers if I goof up!

I borrowed from the library (Hi, Mom!) David Chang's Momofuku Cookbook, part traditional cookbook, part history tome, and part essay. Mr. Chang is apologetically unsympathetic to vegetarians, but his ginger scallion noodles appeal to us herbivores. He states that this dish is an homage, no, a rip off of a cheap & filling Chinese restaurant in NYC, so I figured it was only fair to do the same. The ginger scallion sauce recipe is from Chang's cookbook, with minor modifications by me to accommodate what I had in my kitchen, the rest of the stir-fry inspiration arrives courtesy of the contents of my fridge:

 

     2 bunches sounds like a lot of onions...1/2 ginger sounds like a lot of ginger. But it works.

                                                         Love all the green...so pretty!

                                                    Like to keep these handy in the fridge!
Green Green Onion & Ginger Noodles (serves 3-4)

• 3 single-serve packages yakisoba noodles
• 1/2 lb seasoned firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 small-med zucchini, diced
• 1 head baby bok choy, sliced, leafy greens separated from stems
• 1 green  pepper, diced
• 1 batch ginger scallion sauce (recipe below) 
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• vegetable oil
• soy sauce to taste 
• water as needed

1. Assemble the ginger scallion sauce. Allow to sit in fridge to let flavors mingle, between 20 mins, and oh, 20 hours. It loses potency if not used in a day.
2. Heat a bit of veggie oil in a wok on med-high heat, once hot, toss the garlic a bit til aromatic.
3. Add the tofu, cook for a few minutes, stir often.
4. Add the zucchini & boy choy stems, cook a few more minutes, stir often.
5. Add the pepper, stir again.
6. After a minute or 2, add the noodles and bok choy leaves. Use tongs to help loosen noodles, add a bit of water to loosen the noodles if needed.
7. Once the noodles are loosened, stir-fry for 1-2 mins. 
8. Add the ginger scallion sauce and cook for another min or two more. 
9. Inhale the lovely ginger smell. Enjoy! If you're not enjoying, add some soy sauce to taste.


Ginger Scallion Sauce:

• 2 med bunches green onions, chopped small. Don't discriminate--use both the green & white parts
• 1/2 C minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 vegetable oil
• 1 Tbs soy sauce
• 1 Tbs rice vinegar
• 1 Tbs dry sherry

1. Mix everything together. Let the flavors mingle and get to know each other.  

Verdict? I'm a firm believer in this sauce. It's quick, economical, and packs a lot of flavor, it's easy to keep handy in the fridge. I love the flavor and texture of the yakisoba noodles, and the sauce hugs them perfectly. The ingredients of the stirfry are really secondary to the sauce, so have fun with whatever's in your fridge, and let me know how it turns out.(Update 08/12/2011: I made this again in a desperate attempt to revive a batch of noodles gone wrong. I didn't have dry sherry, so I substituted with  soju, a Korean spirit similar to vodka, with great results. I'm happy to report the noodles were yummy)