TAKEOUT STYLE UDON NOODLES

Plump thick-cut udon noodles dressed in a sweet & spicy sauce, and garnished with toasted sesame seeds. This is comfort food for me and sometimes when I get a hankering, waiting for these to be delivered from my favorite restaurant is just not possible.

We all get those cravings every now and then for our favorite take-out foods, for me it’s noodles. Plump thick-cut udon noodles dressed in a sweet & spice sauce & garnished with toasted sesame seeds. This is comfort food for me and sometimes when I get a hankering, waiting for these to be delivered from my favorite restaurant is just not possible.

So here’s my little take on my favorite take-out style udon noodles!

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1 cup cauli crumble (sub in any ground meat)

• 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

• 2 packages Japanese style Udon noodles

• 2 scallion sprigs, sliced, green & white parts separated

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons honey or agave

• 1 teaspoon white vinegar

• 1 - 2 tablespoons neutral oil

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon roasted peanuts, crushed

• 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder

• 1 - 2 teaspoons Sambal Oelek, optional

• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add in the udon noodles and allow to sit in the water to loosen the strands. After 1 minute with a pair of tongs gently loosen the noodles so they separate from one another. This doesn’t take a lot of effort, just a few gentle shakes are enough to separate the strands.

In a small bowl mix in the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, five spice powder & sambal (if using) and set aside.

In a large thick bottomed non-stick saucepan or wok, add in the oil & brown the cauli crumble or ground meat you are using. Once done, strain and set aside. You should have some oil/fats left in the pan, if there is no oil/fat left add in a little more oil and sauté the onions (the onions & scallion whites) in there until slightly soft, about 1 - 2 minutes.

Then add in the garlic and sauté until the raw smell is gone.

Turn down the flame and add in the sauce mixture, browned meat, pepper, & salt (if needed). Mix until everything is well combined. Add in the prepared noodles and toss to coat the noodles well. If the noodles feel a little dry add in a little water to loosen up the sauce. Be careful to not add too much as this can make the noodles mushy very quickly.

Add in the sesame oil, toss gently & take off the heat. Garnish with the green parts of the scallions, crushed peanuts, & roasted sesame seeds.