Kabocha Sesame Noodles

For the noodles in this dish, I used Kylins Dried Noodles, found in the Asian section of our supermarket, though any Asian noodles would work. For the squash in this dish, Kobocha is used. It is a Japanese pumpkin that is very sweet and flavorful. I was easily able to peel the kobocha in this recipe using a potato peeler, but some kobocha has tough skin and you may want to check out these tips on how to peel them.

Serves 2-3.

Ingredients:

Sesame Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seed oil
• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds

Vegetables and Noodles:

• 3 c water
• 7 oz Asian dry noodles or soba noodles
• 2 Tbsp vegetable cooking oil
• 2 c kabocha squash, peeled and cut in thin strips
• 1 c green bell pepper, cut in thin strips
• 6 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 c parsley, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Mix the Sesame Sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
2. In a large wok, boil the water over high heat and add the noodles.
3. Cook 2-3 minutes; drain and set aside.
4. Return the wok to high heat and add the oil.
5. When hot, stir in the kobocha, bell pepper and green onions.
6. Stir fry for about 2-3 minutes.
7. Add the noodles and Sesame Sauce.
8. Stir and heat for a minute or so.
9. Add the parsley and serve hot.