Featured recipe from Marilu’s table * Soba noodles with shredded veggies in peanut sauce
Make this satisfying vegan meal and take advantage of fresh produce, too. (It’s not as hard as it looks.)
Use a different nut or seed butter if you have to avoid peanuts – almond butter and sunflower seed butter work just as well (not to mention other varieties).
When you buy fresh ginger, peel and finely grate the whole root. (We try to buy a piece that’s finger-sized rather than hand-sized, so we don’t have too much extra.) The best grater for ginger is a microplane, or you can use a special ginger grater (usually made of porcelain). Measure out the amount you need, then wrap the rest tightly in plastic wrap and put it in a freezer-weight zipper bag. Freeze until you need it again. No waste!
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Soba Noodles with Shredded Vegetables and Peanut Sauce
Green * Serves 4
1 medium carrot, cut in matchstick pieces
1/4 pound snow peas, strings removed, sliced lengthwise into thin strips
1/2 pound button or shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced (remove stems of shiitakes)
1/2 cup vegetable stock or water (plus a little extra)
3 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon brown rice syrup
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
10 ounces dried buckwheat soba noodles
1 Tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 Tablespoons dry sherry
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 cups finely shredded green or napa cabbage
1 cup fresh mung bean or soybean sprouts
4 lime wedges
In a small bowl, whisk together the stock, peanut butter, vinegar, rice syrup, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and cayenne until well combined. Set aside.
Bring about 12 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add the soba noodles and stir to separate. As soon as water returns to rolling boil, add 1-cup cold water. Return to boiling, then immediately turn off heat and leave noodles in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain well without rinsing.
Heat oil and sherry in a wok or heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add carrot, snow peas, cabbage, mushrooms, and salt. Stir-fry for 4-5 minutes, until veggies have begun to wilt. Add peanut sauce and cook about 1 minute, until bubbling. Add the noodles and toss gently, until well combined with sauce and veggies. Add another few tablespoons of stock if mixture seems to dry.
Divide among four heated serving bowls and top each with 1/4 of the sprouts. Nestle a lime wedge into each bowl and serve immediately.
