Ideal for EatingEating ethically while eating great!

This is a lovely and simple dinner that can be as flavorful or as plain as you would like. My husband and I have eaten soba noodles in Japan, and we loved the simplicity of them. In Japan, you can get them warm or cold. They are served on a small bamboo mat with a side bowl of dipping sauce. You can make the sauce spunkier by mixing in some shichimi togarashi—also called nanami togarashi. It is literally a powder of seven peppers. (Shichi and nana both mean seven in Japanese.) You pick up some soba with chopsticks and dip the noodles into the sauce, bite by bite. You are usually served a small amount of noodles—small for the United States anyway. But you are completely satisfied and just full enough because of how long it takes you to eat the noodles in the fashion.

I have made soba at home in the Japanese style. But I often just pour the sauce right over the noodles. That's what I did here—with a citrus soy sauce. I served the soba alongside some tofu and bok choy that I sautéed with some sesame oil and soy sauce.

Citrus-Soy Soba with Sesame-Soy Tofu and Bok Choy—prep time: 30 minutes; serves 6

Ingredients

2 packages soba (buckwheat) noodles

1 package firm or extra-firm tofu, cut into small cubes

1 large head of bok choy, chopped

for the citrus-soy sauce:

• juice from 3 lemons
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

for sautéing the tofu and bok choy:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon sesame oil
• dash cayenne pepper
• dash ground white pepper
• juice from 1 lemon

for serving:

• chopped green onions
• shichimi/nanami togarashi (found in Asian markets)

Directions

Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Be careful to cook to al dente. Do not overcook.

For the citrus-soy sauce, combine soy sauce, lemon juice and garlic powder in a bowl and mix well with a whisk. Set aside until ready to serve.

In a large, deep skillet, heat olive oil. Add boy choy and sauté for several minutes.When bok choy is crisp-tender, add soy sauce, sesame oil, cayenne pepper and white pepper. Stir to combine. If you want to keep the bok choy and tofu separate, then cook the bok choy another minute or two and use a slotted spoon to remove to a plate—then add tofu to sauce in skillet and sauté for about five minutes, until heated through and starting to brown. If you want to mix the bok choy and tofu, then add the tofu at the same time as the other ingredients. Cook for about 5 more minutes.

Serve soba, bok choy and tofu on the same plate. Sprinkle some chopped green onions over everything. Serve citrus-soy sauce in individual bowls or in a gravy boat. Offer shichimi/nanami for people to use to taste.

Enjoy!