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.