Szchuan Sesame Noodles with Five-Spice Tofu

Northern California seems to be a bit behind this year -- it's June and still in the mid-70s. But I think that's warm enough for some cold noodles, right? This is a Szchuan classic -- a bit sweet and spicy with lots of crunch from shredded cucumbers, carrots and bean sprouts. I added some roasted five-spice tofu to boost the protein in this dish.

You'll need:

• 3 cups cooked Chinese-style noodles, drained and chilled
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 cup shredded seedless cucumber
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• 1 cup firm tofu, diced
• 1 tablespoon five-spice powder
• 2 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 portion spicy sesame sauce, recipe below

For the spicy sesame sauce, you'll need:

• 3 tablespoon sesame paste (tahini sauce), well mixed
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce, adjust for desired heat (I use Sriracha)
• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup water

Pre-heat oven to 375. Toss tofu with five-spice powder and canola oil. Roast for 30 minutes. Stir once half-way through the process.

Mix sesame paste, hot sauce, rice wine vinegar and soy sauce together. Stream in water to thin the sauce to a a consistency that allows you to drizzle it on the noddles.

Toss together shredded carrots, cucumber, bean sprouts, noodles, roasted tofu and sauce. Serve cold.