Japanese lunch noodles

4 Servings

Quantity Ingredient
8 Dried black mushrooms (shiitakes)
6 cups Hot water or stock
1 Sweet potato (12oz)
Peeled, cut in 1/2\" dice
1 Leek, trimmed, washed,
And thinly sliced
1 Zucchini, cut widthwise
Into 1/4\" slices
4 cups Stemmed kale leaves, cut
Crosswise into 1/2\" strips
6 tablespoons Miso (pref hatcho-miso)
Or to taste
6 tablespoons Mirin or
A little less cream sherry
2 tablespoons (to 3 tbs) fresh udon or
8 ounces Dried udon or other pasta
6 ounces (to 8 oz) very thinly sliced
Beef or chicken breast
1 bunch Scallions, trimmed
Thinly sliced

Soak the mushrooms in 1 cup hot water or stock in a bowl until soft, about 20 min. Stem the mushrooms and cut each cap in quarters, reserving the soaking liquid. Bring 4 qts of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Place the mushroom soaking liquid and remaining stock in another large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the sweet potato and leek and simmer for 3 min. Add the zucchini, mushrooms, and kale and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 2 min. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the miso, mirin, and honey or sugar. Stir until all the miso is dissolved. Correct the seasoning, adding miso or honey or sugar to taste; the broth should be highly seasoned. The recipe can be prepared ahead to this stage. If preparing ahead, don't boil the water for the noodles. Just before serving, cook the noodles in the boiling water until tender but not soft, about 3 min for fresh noodles, 8 min for dried. Drain the noodles in a colander. Stir them into the broth with the beef or chicken and sliced scallions. Cook the noodles until thoroughly heated, but do not let the broth boil; you'll destroy some of the nutrients in the miso. Serve at once.

Note: Original recipe called for 10 oz tofu (pref extra-firm or firm silken), cut widthwise into ¼-inch slices. 6 to 8 oz thinly sliced beef or chicken breast is a suggested substitute, but the recipe doesn't say whether or not this should be cooked first.

High-Flavor, Low-Fat Pasta by Stephen Raichlen ISBN 0-670-86581-8 From : Diane Lazarus

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