Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the udon. Wipe cremini mushrooms clean with a damp kitchen towel. Roughly chop the mushrooms. Peel and mince the garlic and shallot. Trim 1 inch off the gai lan ends. Zest and juice the lemon. Thinly slice the cucumber into rounds. Add sliced cucumber to a small bowl with the lemon zest and lemon juice.

Add tahini, rice vinegar, tamari, and ⅓ cup hot water to a medium bowl and mix the tahini sauce. When the water is boiling, add udon and gently stir. Cook until al dente, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain, and run under cool water to stop the cooking process.

Heat 2 tsp vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add gai lan and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until gai lan is bright green and tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add ¼ cup water, cover the pan, and steam gai lan for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer gai lan to a plate and cover to keep warm. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp vegetable oil and 2 tsp Szechuan chile blend. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant, and transfer to a small bowl. TIP: We will use this skillet again in the next step; you don’t need to clean it.

Return the large nonstick skillet to medium-high heat with 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Add chopped mushrooms, minced garlic, minced shallot, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms are browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat, add cooked udon and tahini sauce to the skillet, and toss the dan dan noodles.

Divide dan dan noodles between plates and top with the gai lan and citrusy cucumbers. Drizzle with Szechuan chile oil. Dig in!