soba, tempeh and miso soup

It has been a while since I made Soba noodles. Somehow, Summer went by without much fuss. Not too many hot days. Fairly mild. We had salads and such simple meals for the most part.

Yesterday I came home with a nasty headache. D had many other things to do, so, I volunteered to cook something simple. Soba with Miso Soup sounded just like what the doctor ordered. To add some nutritional value so we can have a rounded meal, I threw in some Tempeh.

For the miso soup: recipe is the same as my usual one posted here. I used red miso paste.

For the soba: cook per package directions and steep in favorite flavoring or dipping sauce. Combined ponzu and a hint of mirin and let the soba steep in it till ready to serve - say about 10-15 minutes, while tempeh is getting ready.

For the tempeh: it is basically fermented soyabeans and adapts well to many flavorings. I carried the theme of ponzu and mirin, plus some cayenne pepper sauce to flavor the tempeh. Sautéed some onions and tomatoes, added the tempeh and flavoring, cooked for about 15-20 minutes.

Ana seemed to enjoy this meal, especially the soba. She doesn't care much for miso soup. That's OK. Studies have shown that soy inhibits absorption of iron (and maybe zinc), but, it has other health benefits that I am convinced it is safe in reasonable amounts, provided there are no other health concerns - soy has been shown to interfere with thyroid function...

Anyway, clearly, one has to evaluate one's health and diet and do what seems best, so I'll refrain from further discourse on the subject.