One of the very first decisions that Steph and I made when starting Eat Life Whole was to include a bowl in our logo. Although the two of us come from very different backgrounds – Steph being of Asian/Hawaiian descent and me, a Northern European raised in New England – the image of a bowl meant very much the same thing to both of us. Nourishment, comfort & warmth.
Needless to say, much of the cooking that we both do at home ends up in a bowl. And with this recent turn in the weather, warm soups, porridges and rice bowls have been making regular appearances. Nothing too complicated or time consuming – just good old-fashioned comfort food.
My CSA delivery this week included LOTS of broccoli and even more bok choy – perfect for rainy day “bowl cooking”. And with the generous supply of soba noodles that I picked up this past weekend at Rainbow, I was good to go. All that was left to do was pull out my favorite bowl.
Kitchen Tip: When cooking noodles (or grains), I tend to make more than I need. They store well and will last in the fridge for several days. The same can be said for most veggies (bok choy being a possible exception). Cook them until they are JUST done. Maybe even a little less than done. That way, you don’t need to worry about them getting too soft and overcooked when reheated as leftovers.
Other bowl favorites:
Homemade Miso Soup
Clean & Light Sushi Bowl
Steak & Soba Noodles in a Ginger Broth
Ingredients
Noodles
12 ozs package soba noodles
2 tablespoons tamari
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
Veggies
1 small head of broccoli, florets and stalks trimmed into small bite-size pieces
3-4 heads of bok choy, quartered lengthwise and then thinly sliced across
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoon ginger, grated
½ cup veggie or chicken broth
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Steps:
- Cook your soba noodles in generously salted water. Drain them well and rinse with cold water to keep them from continuing to cook.
- Meanwhile, combine the tamari, rice vinegar, honey, green onions and 3 teaspoons sesame oil in a large bowl. Toss in the cooked noodles and set aside.
- Heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat until it liquefies completely and becomes “loose” in the pan. Add the garlic slices. Raise the heat to high and toss well until the garlic is evenly coated.
- Continue cooking until the garlic becomes fragrant and begins to brown. About 2 minutes. Be sure to spread your garlic out evenly across the bottom of the pan. And stir often to avoid burning.
- Add your broccoli with a generous pinch of salt. Use tongs to toss the veggies, mixing them well with the garlic and oil. Once they are covered in oil, arrange them as best you can so that they have a flat side touching the pan. Toss them occasionally to keep them from burning while still giving them a chance to brown a bit, about 5 minutes.
- Add the bok choy, ginger and broth. Continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes or until the bok choy has softened a bit. Once your veggies are done cooking, remove them from the heat and toss them with the remaining sesame oil.
- Serve the noodles in individual bowls. Add the veggies and top with the sesame seeds.
Serves 4.
