Sunday, April 3, 2011

Noodles with Shiitake and Greens

This is my kind of fast food.  The noodles are most certainly not locally made, but at least they are from the local Asian grocer.  I go to the sweet little shop on Hixson Pike across from the Bi-Lo.  They carry a lot of the same products that Whole Foods carries in their Asian aisle, and are beginning to carry increasingly more "clean" products (without artificial colors or added preservatives).    I stock up on noodles and seaweed when I go.  I usually get lots of udon and soba but I try other kinds as well.


for two people, with possible leftovers:

  • 1/4-1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms (or shiitake and oyster combined), de-stemmed and torn or sliced (I save the stems in the freezer until I have enough to make a rich and yummy stock)
  • 1 bunch or greens (kale, chard, collards...) torn or sliced.  I usually pull the really big stems out, but if the stems are fairly small I just chop them up with everything else
  • 2-6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 dried chili, minced or ground
  • a little bit of oil (or bacon grease). Coconut oil is super yummy.
  • 1/4 cup tamari
  • teeny tiny dash of sesame oil
  • large drizzle of sorghum syrup
  • 1 T cornstarch (optional)
  • water or mushroom stock
  • 2 bundles soba or udon noodles
Boil water for the noodles (about 5 cups)

Heat oil (or bacon grease) in a wok or skillet til hot. Saute garlic til fragrant and then throw in the mushrooms and chilies and cook til beginning to get soft. Add the greens and a touch of water or mushroom stock; enough to wilt everything.  Let simmer til greens and mushrooms are soft.   

Cook the noodles while you finish the sauce.

In a small bowl, mix a touch of water with the cornstarch, if using.  It will add a silkiness to your sauce and help coat the noodles but is in no way necessary.   Add the tamari, sesame oil, and sorghum.  Add more water to stock to make a liquid-y sauce.  Take a spoonful or two of the sauce and mix in with the cornstarch paste.  Add the cornstarch and simmer for a few minutes until thickened.  Taste for salt or heat and add tamari or hot pepper accordingly.  Pour everything over the hot noodles and serve warm or at room temp.  



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