Sesame Soba Noodles

"Sesame Soba Noodles" (page 236) is a simple dish that combines cooked buckwheat (soba) noodles with stir-fried vegetables. Normally my husband does the stir frying, but this dish looked so easy and straightforward, I decided to give it a go. The vegetables include cabbage (or bok choy), onion, carrots, and snow peas, seasoned with ginger and soy sauce. The instructions say to coat the cooked noodles in a tablespoon of sesame oil, and buckwheat noodles do tend to be a bit stickier than other varieties, but even ½-1 teaspoon of oil is plenty to for a light coating, and to provide that unique sesame oil flavor. Another two tablespoons of oil is called for to stir fry the veggies, but I used my non-stick skillet and a splash of sherry and no oil was necessary. The cooked noodles and stir fried veggies are tossed together, heated through, and topped with sesame seeds. This dish comes together quickly, and in fact is identified in the cookbook with an "f" for fast food. Doesn't get much simpler or fresher than this!