Here and There: Vegetable Noodle Bowl with Homemade Ponzu Dressing

This easy noodle bowl dish is refreshing and delicious. It is a good way to use up vegetables in your refrigerator. Perfect as a lenten dish or to reduce the amount of meat in our diet.

Ponzu dressing is a citrus based watery thin soya dressing which you can also buy in the Asian section of the Supermarket but easily made at home.

Ponzu Dressing:

1/4 c soya sauce
1/4 c water
2-3 T mirin/sake
2-3 T rice vinegar
3- 4 T lemon juice or lime juice
1 T dried Bonito flakes
1-2 tsp Chili flakes
Rind from the fruit

A combination of lime and lemon as the juice is very nice. I also used a small chunk of Jalapeños in place of chilli flakes.

Combine the ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to boil. Stain sauce into a jar.

For this noodle salad use a combination of vegetables.

I dehydrated Shitake Mushrooms in hot water until soft, then sliced them thinly as this mushroom is very meaty. White mushroom can also be used.

Pan fry the mushrooms in a bit of olive oil along with minced garlic clove and minced fresh garlic. You can add a hot chilli

Add finely sliced vegetables. I used cabbage, white onion and red bell peppers.

To assemble either in a single bowl or family style eating, add the cooked noodle, then the sautéed vegetables, grated carrots, finely chopped cilantro. I topped this with steamed shrimp, drizzled the Ponzu dressing, sprinkled sesame seed.

The combination is endless, other vegetables such as pea pods, bok choy, Chinese Cabbage, peanuts and green Onions.