Soba Noodles with Tempeh {Vegan}

I know, I know. It's a stupidly long title. But, I had to distract you from the awful photography. I was so so desperately hungry that focussing on my plate wasn't a priority. Besides, I'm just not that good at it - yet - and the camera just wanted to focus on the black.

The black stuff? As it, what the HELL is that black stuff, as my sister in law asked when I sent her a photo of my dinner. In context, I'd been living with my sister in law in England where I kept lamenting that I couldn't get any of the ingredients I wanted. It's soooo nice to be in my own kitchen, and able to source food from my own garden and own local shops. The black stuff is purple kale. I really need to plant more of it - it's such a pretty plant! I mean, if you can have purple kale, why would you want any other colour?

And so, lunch. Soba noodles heated with the poured over broth. The trick is to cook the noodles first - three minutes, to the timer, and rinse them in cool water. Then you can set them aside whilst you are preparing the rest.

When you've cooked the noodles, it's an easy affair to get a quick stock on the go - this one with dried shitake mushrooms and dried green garlic onions that I had left over from last year, and some fresh shallots from the garden, and a stock to taste. As that gently simmers, fry your tempeh in olive oil until golden brown, adding grated ginger in a corner of the pan about half way through to soften and release gingery goodness. Turn the heat way down and wait til the beans and kale are steamed to the desired crunch. Mix some lime, tamari and maple syrup in a bowl to desired tang and sweetness and toss through the tempeh.

Then, it's assembly time. Simply place the cold soba noodles in a bowl, arrange the veggies and tempeh on the side, then pour over the boiling stock, which will reheat the noodles. Sprinkle with fried shallots and some sesame seeds on the tempeh, and enjoy.

This is one of those meals that doesn't take very long to cook, but needs a bit of timing to come together perfectly. If the stock and noodles are already made, and the tempeh is frying at the same time the veggies are steaming, you'll be pretty much on the clock.

Ah, it's soooo good to be back in my own kitchen.