Spring Roll Noodles

This is a great summer pasta salad. Eating fresh with the noodles and veggies still warm is awesome, but if you eat as leftovers, just eat cold straight out of the fridge.

Ingredients:
1-inch fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
8 oz thin noodles, ex soba or vermicelli
16 oz fresh asparagus
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
2 cucumbers, diced
fresh basil
fresh cilantro
lime juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 avocado, sliced
1 bunch green onions, sliced

Directions:

1. Trim ends of asparagus by cracking them off. Cut remaining parts in half.
2. Cook noodles according to package instructions.
3. Meanwhile, saute ginger, asparagus, and bell peppers. Once you reach desired tenderness, turn off heat.
4. Once the noodles are cooked, drain and rinse with cold water. 
5. Add cucumber and noodles to the sauteed vegetables. Stir in basil and cilantro.
6. Squirt with lime juice (either from fresh lime fruit or bottled), and pour soy sauce over the vegetables and noodles. Mix thoroughly.
7. Top with the sliced avocado and green onions.

Notes:

• Serves 4

Pizzoccheri (Italian Buckwheat Noodle Casserole)

This dish came from Robin Asbell's The New Whole Grain Cookbook. I consider it a vegetarian main dish. In the notes, I have the tips to make it vegan. 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter (use vegan butter)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

14 ounces savoy cabbage, thinly sliced (6 cups)

4 ounces thin French beans or green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch slices

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

1 8-ounce package soba noodles

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly cracked black pepper

6 ounces aged fontina cheese, shredded (skip for vegan)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. 
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. 
3. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large saute pan and cook the cabbage and French beans over medium heat. (French beans will cook more quickly than green beans.) When tender and golden , about 5 minutes, add the garlic and sage, and cook for a few more minutes. 
4. Take the pan off the heat. 
5. Cook the soba in the boiling water according to the package directions, drain, then mix with the cabbage in the pan, adding the salt and pepper to taste.
6. Lightly oil a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish, and put half of the noodle mixture in the bottom. Top with half of the cheese, then the remaining noodles, and finally the remaining cheese. 
7. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until melted and golden. 

Notes:

• For vegan option, use vegan butter and skip the cheese. (Or if you know of a good vegan Fontina-like cheese, use that.)
• You can also make this a day ahead, refrigerate, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Serves 6.
• A whole wheat spaghetti could also be used if you can't find soba. If you want to be true to the Italian tradition, use a homemade buckwheat pasta and roll it out by hand.
• Ryan made the suggestion to add chicken to the casserole to make it "feel more complete" for the omnivores in the family.