Soba Noodles, a quick easy dinner

We're all affected in some way by this crappy economy. For me, I've been having a lot of difficulty finding an RN job here in Boston, because all 100040030 major academic hospitals in Boston are on hiring freezes. As a result, I am trying to make food that is cheap, quick, yet still delicious! I have been making this soba noodle dish for quite some time now, and D and I just love it. It's very simple, and comes together quickly. The ingredients are relatively inexpensive, and it makes a lot of noodles, which is perfect for lunches for several days.

I started by boiling some water, and cooking some soba (buckwheat) noodles until just al dente. You can find these noodles in an Asian food market, or Whole Foods. You will find that the more expensive versions of soba noodles have higher buckwheat content, while the cheaper ones contain a higher ratio of wheat flour. As you can see below, I got the cheaper kind! Sure, it's less nutritious, and has less fiber, but it will do.


While the noodles were cooking, I made the sauce to toss the noodles in. It consists of soy sauce, sesame oil, Korean red pepper flakes (gochu garu), fish sauce, and some furikake (Japanese seaweed/bonito flake/sesame seed seasoning).


I whisked it all in a large bowl.


Then, I added some sprouts and thawed edamame to the sauce. When the noodles were done cooking, I drained them, and added the hot noodles on top of the sprouts/edamame. This allows the sprouts to slightly cook, and the edamame to further thaw.


I used tongs to gently mix, bringing the sauce from the bottom to the top.


I sliced some scallion for garnish, and for a little bit of onion-y bite.


I served the noodles up with some pieces of light silken tofu, which I love for its smooth texture and protein content. You could use any kind of tofu you like, but I think the silken tofu has a very creamy and lovely texture. I think you'll really like this dish -- it is simple and very tasty. It has quite a bit of protein from the tofu and edamame, as well as fiber from the soba and edamame. The sauce is simple and provides a nice Asian flavor. Next time, I might add some rice wine vinegar to the sauce to shake things up a bit!



Soba Noodles with Tofu

Ingredients:
2 packages of soba noodles (8.8 oz each), cooked according to package directions
5 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sesame oil
4-5 dashes of fish sauce
1/2 Tbsp Korean red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp furikake
1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
2 cups sprouts
1 package light silken tofu
3 scallions, sliced

Directions:
1. Boil water, and cook the noodles. Drain, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, Korean red pepper flakes, and furikake. Whisk to combine.
3. Add the sprouts and edamame to the sauce.
4. Add the hot noodles on top. The heat from the noodles will slightly cook the sprouts and further thaw the edamame.
5. Using tongs, gently mix thoroughly to ensure complete coverage with the sauce.
6. Serve with some tofu slices. Garnish with sliced scallions, and more furikake.
7. Enjoy your Asian creation!