peanut citrus soba noodles

these cold noodles are great now that spring's warming up and i'm sure will be even better when summer gets mercilessly hot. the vegetables leave plenty of room for improvisation--substitute bok choy with spinach, for example, or throw in a red pepper, and the protein is equally flexible: i'm sure shredded chicken would be just as good as tofu here.

the recipe for the sauce is more of a rough guideline than a recipe. make sure to taste and adjust to your liking.
peanut citrus soba noodles with fresh vegetables
makes about 6 servings
for pasta:

• 8-10 oz soba noodles (mine came in a 10.53 oz package; weird)
• 1 medium cucumber, cut into matchsticks (i like to peel mine in stripes, leaving some peel on for texture)
• about 1 lb. bok choy or 1 medium baby bok choy, cut lengthwise into 1/3" thick ribbons
  
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 3 scallions, chopped
• about 6 oz extra firm tofu (i used half of a 14 oz package), drained and cut into thin rectangles
• toasted sesame seeds
• olive, canola or sesame oil, for frying
• lime wedges, for serving

for peanut citrus sauce:

• scant 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• scant 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 2 1/2 limes)
• 4 tsps rice vinegar
• 1 small clove garlic, finely minced
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger or 1 1/2 fresh ginger, peeled & grated
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• a small splash fish sauce (optional, vegans can easily omit)

to make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl (this will take a minute or two of whisking to smooth out the texture. if it still looks too thick when everything's combined, add a teaspoon or two of water). taste for seasonings, adjust to your taste, and set aside.
in a skillet, heat a glug of (olive or sesame) oil over medium heat. when it's shimmering, add tofu. cook 5-7 minutes until slightly browned. add scallions and cook another minute or two. remove from heat and set aside.
while tofu is cooking, prepare water for soba noodles according to directions on package. cook as instructed. about 1 minute before noodles are done, throw in bok choy just to blanche for a minute. when pasta is done, drain with bok choy and rinse thoroughly with cold water to stop cooking.

combine pasta, bok choy, tofu, scallions, carrots, cucumber and several spoonfuls of sesame seeds in a large bowl. pour peanut dressing over noodles and toss very well. top with an additional sprinkling of sesame seeds and lime, if desired. if you have the patience, refrigerate noodles for a few hours to let flavors meld, and if not, eat it right away (if you're like me, this will consist of standing over the giant serving bowl on the counter, fork in hand, no plate).

cost calculator
note: i didn't include things like sesame seeds, vinegar, or spices, because not only do i not remember how much these cost but the amounts were so miniscule that i wouldn't know how to divide them up anyway.

approx. 1.3 lbs bok choy: $2.00
1 cucumber: $0.67
2 limes: $1.00
soba noodles: $3.09 (eek)
1/2 bunch scallions: $0.50
1 carrot: approx $0.26
peanut butter: 1/4 of a $2.00 jar, approx. $0.50
total: $8.02/6=$1.34 per serving