We all know we should be eating more whole grains but brown rice, night after night, gets a little old. Why not try something new the next time you whip up a stir-fry and serve it with Japanese soba noodles? Buckwheat flour is the main ingredient of these thin and tender noodles. If you’re not regularly eating buckwheat, you should give it a try. This whole grain not only takes center stage in the quick-cooking soba noodle but it also makes for a fantastic alternative to your standard white flour pancakes. Nutty and delicious, your family will welcome this new addition to the table. Here are a few other benefits of buckwheat:
Why is buckwheat good for you?
Buckwheat has a relaxing effect over blood vessels, improving circulation and decreasing blood pressure due to the high amount of magnesium found in the flour.
Fights breast cancer and other types of cancer dependent on hormones such as ovarian and uterine.
The high amount of Vitamins with B complex and other nutrients make this an idea grain for those fighting liver disorders of diabetes where sugary substances are not encouraged.
So give brown rice the night off and welcome soba noodles to the table. Your body, and more importantly your taste buds, will thank you.
Your fork is waiting.
Soba Noodles with Shrimp in Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 oz bundles buckwheat soba noodles (about 8)
- 1 large onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 yellow pepper (thinly sliced)
- 3 large carrots (peeled into long ribbons)
- 1 lb shrimp (fresh or frozen)
- 1 c green peas
- 2 tbs ginger (grated)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tbs creamy natural peanut butter
- ¼ c soy sauce (low sodium)
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- ¼ c rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbs sriracha (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil and cook soba noodles according to package directions (about 4-5 minutes.)
- Meanwhile, heat a large deep frying pan or wok on high and spray with non-stick spray.
- Saute onions for 2 minutes before adding yellow pepper slices and cooking additional 3-4 minutes or until tender.
- While veggies are sauteing, wisk together ginger, garlic, peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and sriracha; set aside.
- To peel carrots into ribbons, lay a peeled whole carrot flat on a cutting board and use a carrot peeler and literally peel the carrot into long ribbons.
- Add shrimp, carrots and sauce to pan and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes.
- Add peas and cook until bright green – about 2 minutes. Serve with extra sriracha for the table.