Asian Noodles with Black Vinaigrette

Asian Noodles with Black Vinaigrette pg. 174

Do you remember how you felt after final exams were over when you were in school?  Relieved, excited, and exhausted are a few adjectives that come to mind.  That is kinda how I feel now that my friend's baby shower is over.  It was the biggest party I have thrown in a long while, and also I think one of the prettiest parties I have ever put together.  I worked for days getting everything ready.  I love to party plan.  It would be heavenly to do it for a living. I loose track of time when I am getting every detail prepared. In the end I think my friend, her husband and her family had a great time!  She got so many cute things for her future daughter, and memories to last a lifetime.  Here are some pictures from the day.

After lounging around all morning, I finally mustered up enough energy to make Asian Noodles with Black Vinaigrette.  I first made the Basic Asian Marinade to dress the salad.  I have actually made this before,  although this time when I made it I used a very special olive oil.  One of the guests at the shower makes olive oil.  He is Greek, and he makes his olive oil of course in Greece, then imports it to the USA.  It is delicious and the packaging is really beautiful.  Here is his website:  www.tagaras.com.  Check it out, you will be so glad you did!

Tagaras Olive Oil

Basic Asian Marinade

Asian Marinade Ingredients

This recipe called for one of my arch nemesis ingredients, the buckwheat soba noodles.  These noodles almost made me cry the last time I made them.  It is funny because the recipe forewarns how moody these suckers can be.  The other recipe Teriyaki Tofu with Wild Mushrooms and Soba Noodles left out that little detail.  I suspect since this recipe came first in the cookbook that is why only this dish gives you the heads up.  In my defense, who cooks each recipe from a cookbook in order?  Truthfully, I think buckwheat soba noodles should just post a warning on the package.  Something like "warning pain in the a-- noodles beware!" I outsmarted the soba noodles this time though!  I bought pre-made noodles that just called for me to drop them in the water for 30 seconds.  No sticky clumping mess this time.  Yeah!

Here is what you will need to make this yummy salad.  You can get a glimpse of the prepacked noodles I used.

This was a hearty salad full of tons of flavor.