Soba Noodles with Broccoli and Ginger-Peanut Sauce

I've recently harvested some broccoli and it looks really good!  I'm excited because, although I've grown broccoli before, it is usually tiny and sprouts before it is big enough to pick.  My favourite way to eat broccoli is in this dish so I thought I'd make and share the recipe.  The photos of the dish were taken in a brightly lit area so it doesn't show the true green of the veggie, but they really were the best specimens I've grown to date.

You can pretty much use any veggies you want but I like to include broccoli, red pepper, snow peas, carrots (neither of which I had today but I included the carrots in the recipe since I would normally have them), lots of options.  The sauce can be adjusted to suit your tastes ... this is a pretty standard version but you could add more hot sauce for a spicier version.  This should serve 4.  Leftover noodles can be changed up a bit to include ginger-sauteed shrimp or leftover chicken, etc.

Start with the sauce as it needs some time for the flavours to blend - I usually make it several hours or even a day ahead of time.

Ginger-Peanut Sauce

Mix all of the following ingredients together into a smooth sauce - if it's too stiff (like a paste), add 1-2 Tbsp of water or more lime juice to thin it out (it should be the consistency of thick ketchup).

• 2 limes
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 5 Tbsp smooth or crunchy peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp sriracha sauce

The Noodle Dish

10 ounces buckwheat (soba) noodles
2 limes
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 lb broccoli, cut into florets and slice the stalk if tender enough
1 carrot, julienned
Cilantro for garnish

Cook the noodles according to the package - it usually says 5-6 minutes but I find they are ready to my liking around 3 1/2 minutes.  When cooked, immediately drain and toss in cold water.  When fully drained, drizzle 1-2 tsp of sesame oil over the noodles and toss again.

Lightly saute the garlic, ginger, onion, pepper and carrots with a small amount of olive oil.  After 3-4 minutes, add the broccoli and the juice of 1 lime.  Turn the heat to low and cover with a lid to steam the broccoli.

While the broccoli steams, get back to the noodles.  Toss them in a large bowl with 2 Tbsp of the ginger-peanut sauce.  I prefer to mix the sauce with the noodles and the veggies separately to ensure I get the right balance of flavours throughout the dish.

When the veggies are tender, turn off the heat and stir in 2 heaping Tbsp of the ginger-peanut sauce - add more to taste.  This amount is enough for me which usually leaves another few Tbsp of sauce to use for dipping fresh veggies.

There are two options for serving:

1) If you are sure your noodles are not overcooked and they can take a bit more heat, just mix the veggies and noodles together at this point and toss to mix.  Squeeze on a bit more lime juice, garnish with cilantro (which I totally forgot for the pictures) and serve immediately.

2) If you want to make sure your noodles don't get too mushy, serve the noodles in bowls first, and spoon some of the veggies over top (or let guests do this themselves).  Serve with slices of lime (and fresh cilantro).