Pride and Prejudice,Rice Noodle Salad, and My (Still) Achy Breaky Teeth

We (my sisters and me) just finished watching the DVD of Pride and Prejudice. How I love that movie! My teeth (or actually, my gums) are still really sore from my orthodontist appointment yesterday, so I was a bit out of commision today. Yesterday I made a Rice Noodle Salad to enter into this competition, so that's what everybody except me had for dinner. Even if my mouth wasn't sore, I wouldn't have been able to eat it, because it had lots of raw (crunchy) veggies in it. Here's a picture and the recipe:



Rice Noodle Salad with Arame (please note that this makes a lot. Like, enough to bring to a potluck, so you may want to cut the recipe in half.)

Rice Noodle Salad:
3.5 oz dried shredded daikon
2.1 oz bag arame
14-16 oz rice noodles
4 large stalks broccoli, florets trimmed and stalks coarsely chopped
2 medium red peppers, cut into thin strips
3 medium carrots, cut into thin strips
1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
2 large portabello mushrooms, sliced
14 oz. can black soybeans, drained
8.5 oz can bamboo shoots, drained and sliced into strips

Dressing:
2 tbsp red miso
4 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp umeboshi plum vinegar
4 tbsp brown rice vinegar
1 tbsp powdered ginger
1 tbsp garlic granules
water as needed

scallions and black sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put on a little more than what you'll need for the noodles because you're going to be using it for some other things. (See below.) While it's coming to a boil, you can chop up the vegetables. (Or you can chop the veggies before hand. Whatever your heart or time factor desires.)

Place the daikon in a bowl and ladle in enough boiling water to cover it. Let this soak for 30-60 minutes. while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Place the arame in a bowl (make sure it's big enough, arame expands quite a bit) and ladle in enough boiling water to cover it. Let this soak for about 15 minutes.

All right, now cook the rice noodles according to the package directions. About 3 minutes before the noodles are done, add the broccoli florets and stalks. When the noodles and broccoli are done, rinse them under cold water to cool them down and place them in a large bowl. Add the red peppers, carrots, and red onion.

Into the pot that you cooked the rice noodles in, place the portabello mushrooms and a little bit of water. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for a few minutes. While these are cooking you can drain the black soybeans and drain and chop the bamboo shoots. When the mushrooms are done, add these and the black soybeans and bamboo shoots to the bowl. By now the arame and daikon should both be ready, so add them to the bowl as well. If there's any leftover soaking liquid, save this for the dressing.

To make the dressing:
In one of the bowls you soaked the daikon or arame in, whisk the miso and tahini together, then gradually add both the vinegars, whisking into a smooth paste. Add the ginger and garlic, and whisk again. Add as much water as needed (this can be soaking liquid) to make a consistency somewhere between thick and thin. Pour this over the noodle salad and toss to distribute everything evenly. Chill before serving. If you are using the scallions and sesame seeds, garnish right before serving. Enjoy!