sesame noodles with eggplant and tofu

 http://www.herbivoracious.com/2007/10/recipe-otsu-noo.html

Grilled Eggplant and Tofu Otsu Noodles
Serves 4
Vegetarian and vegan
For the sauce:

• 1/4 c. toasted sesame paste (tahini)
• 2 T. tamari or other soy sauce
• 1 T. sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) or 2 t. sugar
• 2 t. rice vinegar
• zest from 1/2 lemon (or yuzu if you have it, or lime)
• juice from 1 lemon (ditto)
• 1 healthy knob of ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 t. or more Sriracha or hot sauce of your choice, or 1/2 t. cayenne pepper
• black pepper to taste
• 1 piece of Balinese long pepper, crushed, if you have it

For the noodles:

• 9 oz. soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles)
• 1 english cucumber, cut into strips and then 1" pieces
• 1 heavy eggplant, slice into 1/2" thick rounds
• 1/2 lb. extra firm tofu
• 2 green onions, sliced thin
• 1/3 c. toasted sesame seeds
• sea salt (like Maldon)
• 1/2 head iceberg lettuce for serving, leaves pulled apart and washed (optional)

1. Whisk or blend all of the dressing ingredients together, and let it sit for flavors to develop while you make the noodles and vegetables.
2. Prepare the noodles according to the package directions. For mine that meant boiling for 4 minutes. Don't let them overcook. Rinse in cool water.
3. Brush the eggplant with a bit of oil and grill or broil until deep brown on both sides and thorougly tender. Let cool, then slice rounds into 2" x 1" batons.
4. Slice tofu into approximately 2" x 1" x 3/4" rectangles, dry with a paper towel, and saute in a single layer with a bit of oil over high heat until nicely browned on all sides. Alternatively, you can use a pre-flavored tofu product of your choice.
5. Taste and adjust the dressing. Does it need more salt? More acid? More heat? Is it too thick? You want a fairly liquid texture, not pasty, and it should be highly flavored.
   
6. Reserve 2 T. of the dressing and 1 T. of the sesame seeds.
7. In a large bowl, toss together the noodles, dressing (reserving 2 T.),  sesame seeds (reserving 1 T.),  cucumber, eggplant, tofu
8. To serve, line a platter with the iceberg lettuce, the mound the noodles on top. It is often hard to get the vegetables to mix in, so you may need to take your tongs and distribute them a bit. Garnish (in order) with: the remaining sauce, the green onions, the remaining sesame seeds, and a couple pinches of good sea salt and a grind of black pepper.

Other good variations for the sauce would include miso, wasabi, and/or fresh garlic. For the vegetables, I think this dish likes umami flavors more than a lot of green vegetation, so I'd be more inclined to do something like shiitake mushrooms than say zucchini.