Udon Noodle Sucess

This week went by rather quickly, which was nice, but I’m still super pumped that today is Friday – anyone else feeling the same way?

I didn’t get around to blogging last night so I’ll go ahead start with yesterday’s highlights! First thing first, I went to the gym and did a 30 minute cardio workout along with 30 minutes of legs. It’s nice because the plan I’m following as part of Team HEAB doesn’t require a lot of equipment and it’s much different than what I typically have been doing at the gym as of late, which was very apparent by the amount of sweat I excreted.

Moving right along… last night’s dinner was FABULOUS!

A few weeks ago I ask you all for recommendations of what to make from Veganomicon and last night I finally got around to making one of the recipes!

Udon with Shiitake Mushrooms, Sweet Potato and Kale in a Miso Broth

Adapted from Veganomicon

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb fresh or dried udon noodles (I used Eden)
• 3/4 cup raw sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/4 inch squares (optional)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 medium-sized red onion, sliced thinly in half moon shapes
• 4 oz (2.5 cups) shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 2 tbsp mirin (optional)
• 2 cups water
• 3.5 tbsp white miso
• 4-5 cups kale, chopped
• 1 tsp tamari, or to taste

Preparation

1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook the udon according to the package directions, about 10 minutes. When done, drain and rinse with cool water until ready to use.

2. In the same pot (and using the same hot water from the noodles if possible) boil the sweet potato squares for about 3-4 minutes, or until tender. Drain, rinse with cool water and place in the same bowl with the noodles until ready to use.

3. Meanwhile, preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion and mushrooms in the oil for about 7 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and the onions soften. Add the garlic and ginger, and saute for another minute.

4. Add the mirin, water, and miso and bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the kale. Toss the mixture around with tongs until the kale has wilted. Add the noodles, sweet potato and tamari and use a spoon to stir them into the broth for about 2 minutes.

5. Divide the udon and vegetables among the bowls and spoon some broth over each serving.

I only changed a few things from the original recipe (i.e coconut oil instead of vegetable oil and 1 tbsp less as well as the addition of the sweet potatoes for a little more color) and overall, the dish was delicious!! The flavor and texture of the sauteed vegetables paired so nicely with the noodles and miso broth. I love miso soup so it’s no surprise that the broth was tasty. I also liked that it was easy enough to make on a weeknight after work!

I’ll also note that I’ve never had udon noodles before, but I really liked their dense texture. I’m not a huge pasta fan but these noodles are great because they’re low in fat and a good sources of dietary fiber, protein, and iron.

This was most definitely a Veganomicon success considering I’m already excited to have the leftovers for lunch today!

The rest of my eats on Thursday were pretty typical:

Overnight oats with chia seeds for breakfast, which were only “soaked” for 1 hour this morning while I was at the gym. Now the secret is out, overnight oats don’t necessarily have to set up overnight! 

Lunch was a bowl of TJ’s low sodium roasted red pepper and tomato soup topped with seaweed gomasio,

carrots, hummus and toast.

Not sure what’s on the agenda today after work. I’m headed to the gym this morning so my workout will be done! Maybe Isaac and I will have an impromptu date night.