simple soba noodles

I could have used soba noodles back in college when I started cooking, and my go-to meal was white flour pasta with chopped green peppers and marinara sauce. (And when I say "go-to", I mean "what I ate every night.") One 1/2 cup serving of soba, a Japanese noodle made with buckwheat, is packed with protein, iron, and a host of B vitamins. And it cooks in 8 minutes! This might be my new weeknight darling.

Noodles must be at least 30% buckwheat to be called "soba." (Otherwise, they're just noodles.) Higher percentages of buckwheat are considered more desireable. But, since buckwheat contains no gluten, the noodles can fall apart while boiling if it's not combined with a binding agent. Most soba noodles are made from a mix of buckwheat and whole wheat, which does contain the sticky gluten. The only organic soba I was able to find was 30% buckwheat/70% whole wheat, but I did see non-organic options with higher percentages.

Tonight's dinner combined the soba noodles with another of my pantry make-over purchases: organic shoyu sauce (a less processed version of soy sauce). The recipe is super easy, but I'm still proud of it -- I made it up myself and it tastes good. Check it out:

-1/4 box of Eden Organic soba noodles (enough to serve one person)
-1 or 2 chives, chopped
-handful white button mushrooms, sliced
-1 or 2 tablespoons organic unfiltered extra virgin olive oil
-1 or 2 tablespoons organic shoyu sauce

Cook soba noodles according to box directions.
While noodles are cooking, heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Use enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan, and heat until fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook until tender (6-7 minutes), then add chives and shoyu sauce. Cook until chives begin to wilt (2 or 3 minutes), then toss mixture with the cooked and drained soba noodles.