Korean Noodle Salad

This salad is paleo. Now I know that seems at odds with the fact that I have used the term "noodle" in the name of the recipe. But this is not the kind of noodle one normally encounters. Most pasta noodles are made with wheat...and those are not paleo. Many Asian noodles are made with rice...and those are not paleo.

These noodles are made with....drum roll, please...sweet potatoes. They are delicious and incredibly springy. They are also known as Korean vermicelli and are available at any Asian market. However, I prefer to shop for specialty items from my office chair at home. Accordingly, you can get yours from where I get mine...Amazon.com . Follow this link: http://www.amazon.com/Oriental-Noodle-Ingredient-Potato-Starch/dp/B007AWNGXO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1426952330&sr=8-4&keywords=sweet+potato+noodles

This recipe is a spectacular mixture of sweet potato noodles and julienned vegetables. It's fresh and light...a tribute to spring (which started yesterday). While it's strictly vegetarian fare, feel free to add some protein. Chef Hooni Kim created this recipe (his Danji and Hanjan restaurants are in New York City). It serves four.


Ingredients
½ (8 ounce) package dried Korean sweet-potato noodles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 medium shiitake mushrooms, julienned
1 medium white onion, julienned
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and julienned
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and julienned
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ cup vegetable stock or water
3 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar


Directions

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add noodles and cook until transparent and al dente, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water. Immediately transfer cooked noodles to ice-water bath to cool and halt cooking. Drain and toss well to dry. Set aside.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once oil and pan are hot, add mushrooms, onions, bell peppers and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir-fry until vegetables begin to soften, 4 minutes. Add garlic and stir-fry until aromatic, 3 minutes.
3. Toss in chilled noodles and remaining ingredients. Stir-fry until vegetables are completely soft and most of cooking liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Wine pairing: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc