FOODjimoto: Hiyashi Chuka--Cold Ramen Noodles

Since the weather has been so hot here the last few weeks, we've been eating cold foods. Hiyashi Chuka--or cold ramen noodles--is refreshing on hot days. Nami over at Just one Cookbook is always an inspiration whenever I want to cook Japanese food. I like to compare her recipes to mine--it's like comparing Japanese American food to Japanese food, since Nami is from Japan, and I was born and raised here in the US.

Top the cooked and chilled ramen noodles with all sorts of toppings like--cooked shrimp, thinly sliced ham, slivered green onions, thinly sliced egg crepe, cooked spinach, sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms--the possibilities are endless!

Hiyashi Chuka--Cold Ramen

adapted from Just One Cookbook

Ingredients:

cooked and chilled ramen noodles

thinly sliced egg crepe

thinly sliced green onion

cooked shrimp

sliced tomatoes

thinly sliced ham

blanched bean sprouts

thinly sliced cucumber

optional: kizami shoga, kombu tsukemono, lemon/lime wedges, daikon sprouts

sauce:

6 tablespoons shoyu

1 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds

1/4 teaspoon grated ginger

dash hot chili oil

4 tablespoons water

These are old-fashioned chuka soba noodles. This is the kind I ate when I was growing up--because they were the only ones available. Now there's all kinds!

This kind is a little fancier, but I'm going to try fresh ramen noodles next time I go to the market.

Use whatever noodles you like. I like these GreeNoodles. I used them in my Healthier Instant Ramen post. I made Hiyashi Chuka with these noodles to take to my parents, since the noodles have 6 grams of fiber per serving and are a healthier choice than the plain wheat flour noodles. My dad is eating healthy these days and I made these to support him.

Make an egg crepe by beating one egg with a good pinch of sugar, a small pinch of salt and a teaspoon of water, pour into a small, hot non-stick pan (medium heat) and swirl the egg around until it covers the bottom of the pan. Lower heat and cook a minute or so until the edges curl away from the pan, then flip the crepe. Cook for a few seconds and remove from pan and cool. Roll the egg crepe and slice thinly.

Top your cold noodles with assorted vegetables and/or cold meats, add a drizzle of dressing and--it's time to eat!

Itadakimasu!

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These are my neighbors, the Watanabes. The other day, they had a party for all the neighbors that share the same driveway--there are four families--it's nice living here with good neighbors.

There was lots of delicious food--Tonkatsu, barbecued chicken wings, teriyaki chicken and french fries...

A huge platter of tempura...

A big bowl of sunomono salad, fruit, drinks and of course, rice.

Everything was delicious!

My neighbor Hiro loves growing things. His yard is FULL of plants! Geraniums and...

Camelias.

I'm not sure what these flowers are--does anyone know?

Pomegranates are growing there too. I love walking down the driveway to see what I can catch with my camera.

From the left--Sam, Tomoko and Hiyato and Gary. Tomoko & Hiyato don't share our driveway, they're friends. We have a lot in common.

Tomoko told me about this flower growing in Hiro's yard. She said it only blooms at night and for only one night.

We all talked and laughed well into the evening!

And we got to see the rare blooming! Thank you to Hiro and Gina for such a nice evening!

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