Cold Noodles with Zucchini

Recipes to me are for inspiration. Rarely does a recipe meet what I'm looking for: no eggs, dairy or gluten, I regularly substitute soy products for various alternatives and I just tweak it to suit us. I'm also not interested in animal protein, although I won't call myself a vegan or any other label. There's always the chance that my friend Dominga will drop by with one of her Mexican specialities. I hope you have a friend like that, too. 🌮

Then there's the boys to consider. They want meat. And a salad topped with chicken doesn't cut it either.

I really don't want to make several meals. I love to cook, but making multiple dishes is a drag. Plus, everyone's busy, so who knows if they'll be home eating what I make.

So I've adopted this meet in the middle type of cooking. Maybe you can relate? My latest inspiration has been the New York Times Cooking app. 

I have binged their recipes and just bookmarked and saved a BUNCH. 

I'm going to share one of their delicious summer recipes, as written by them and then what I did to make it ours. Do you do this?

COLD NOODLES WITH ZUCCHINI

by the NYT (and me)

Yield:1 serving 

(I doubled and it was enough for us. Boys ate less, and someone was probably not home)

1 large zucchini (about 8 oz) (I use smaller zucchini for less seeds and used 3)

Coarse kosher salt or fine sea salt

3 to 4 ounces dried ramen, somen or capellini (I used a 12 oz box of Jovial brown rice capellini)

2 teaspoons maple syrup, plus more to taste 

1½ teaspoons soy sauce, plus more to taste (I used coconut aminos)

1 teaspoon fish sauce, plus more to taste (Favorite brand is Red Boat)

⅛ teaspoon garlic powder (didn't measure and also added fresh garlic)

1 tablespoon avocado, grapeseed or canola oil (avocado, for sure. Do yourself a favor and toss canola oil forever)

½ cup cubed ice (such a fun and interesting step. read the directions!)

Lemon or lime wedges and thinly sliced scallions, for serving

FOR THE BOYS: I took ½ pound of ground chicken and marinated in some coconut aminos, grated garlic, scallions and a splash of maple syrup. It marinated for at least 15 minutes and then I just cooked it up and they had that in a separate bowl that they could add to their dish. 

STEP 1

Trim off the tips of the zucchini, then halve lengthwise and slice into ⅓-inch half moons. Directly on the cutting board, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, toss to combine and let sit for at least 10 minutes (and up to 30 minutes) to draw out excess moisture. (This is the first time that I actually followed the directions of drawing out the moisture on zucchini like this. I read that in order for zucchini to not get mushy, this is what you need to do. It worked! The extra thick slices were also key)

STEP 2

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain, then rinse under cold water until cool to touch. Transfer to an individual serving bowl. (So important to rinse until completely cool! This takes off the starch and the noodles won't stick)

STEP 3

In a medium bowl, stir together the maple syrup, soy sauce, fish sauce and garlic powder; set aside. (plus fresh garlic! I grated in one large clove)

STEP 4

Pat the zucchini dry. Heat a large skillet over high, then add the oil. When you see a wisp of smoke, carefully arrange the zucchini in an even layer in the skillet and season with salt. Cook undisturbed until the zucchini is browned on one side, 1 to 2 minutes, then flip the pieces and cook until tender-crisp, about 1 minute. (followed this exactly)

STEP 5

Transfer the zucchini to the bowl with the sauce. Add the ice, then quickly toss a few times until the zucchini is cool. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed. (The dressing should taste boldly salty at this stage, as the melting ice, and later the noodles, will dilute it.) (this dilution with the ice, cooling off the zucchini while creating more sauce - boom!)

STEP 6

To eat, pour the zucchini and its dressing over the noodles. Spritz with citrus, top with scallions and eat immediately. (As you eat, you can add more maple syrup, soy sauce or fish sauce, if you’d like.) (the sauce tends to sink to the bottom, so grab a spoon and sauce up your noodles!)

 🌱