Sweet & Spicy Soba Noodles

Remove the honey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut out and discard the core of the cabbage; thinly slice the leaves. If necessary, peel the garlic, then roughly chop. Halve the cucumbers lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Place in a bowl; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir to coat. In a large bowl, whisk together the tahini, soy sauce, vinegar, honey (kneading the packet before opening), sesame oil, and as much of the sambal oelek as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper.

In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced cabbage; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the chopped garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until slightly softened. Transfer to the bowl of sauce. Wipe out the pan.

While the cabbage cooks, using your hands, carefully separate the noodles. Add to the pot of boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water 30 seconds to 1 minute to stop the cooking process. Transfer to the bowl of sauce and cooked cabbage.

In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Keeping them separate, crack the eggs into the pan; season with salt and pepper. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until the whites are set and the yolks are cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Turn off the heat.

While the eggs cook, add the seasoned cucumbers to the bowl of cooked noodles, cabbage, and sauce. Stir to thoroughly combine; season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the finished noodles topped with the fried eggs. Enjoy!