Sesame Noodles

Here's a quick, easy, economical little dish when you have a yen for a few noodles with an Asian twist. These are soba noodles, made from organic buckwheat and water, tossed with toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onions and a simple sauce made from rice wine vinegar, tamari, sesame oil and lime juice.

The noodles cook up in 3 - 4 minutes. Sesame seeds toast quickly in a dry non-stick pan over medium heat, then whisking together the sauce ingredients and slicing the onions is a simple task.

When the noodles are cooked, they are rinsed in a colander under cold water, drained, tossed with the sauce, sliced onion and sesame seeds and you're good to go. I like to chill the dish for 20 - 30 minutes before serving. Then give it all another quick toss and a final squirt of lime juice and enjoy. Simple, tasty and very inexpensive.

3 oz soba noodles

1/4 cup sesame seeds
4-6 green onions, sliced on the diagonal

6 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce

2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons raw honey

juice from one lime

1. Toast the sesame seeds in a nonstick skillet, shaking often, until golden; remove from heat and set aside.
2. Whisk together the vinegar, sesame oil, tamari or soy sauce, and honey.

3. Cook the noodles according to the package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Shake the colander to remove excess water and place the noodles in a serving bowl. Toss with sauce and green onions. Add the sesame seeds and toss again, then add a generous squeeze of lime juice. Chill for 30 - 60 minutes to allow flavors to marry.

4. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary - an extra dash of tamari or a little squeeze of lime juice will enliven the flavor. Serve cold.

When you want a little something more than just vegetables — think whole food noodles with a light dressing and a few raw veggies to accompany. This dish would be nice garnished with seeded cucumber pieces, too.

We're only limited by our imaginations. Not our finances. Eating well and eating inexpensively is not an oxymoron. It just takes a bit of exploring, experimenting and willingness to try something different.

Go ahead, nosh some noodles. I found the idea for this easy recipe in the Orlando Sentinel.