Yakisoba— A New Comfort Food

When we think 'comfort food' we most often think of 'peasant food'. Simple dishes made with inexpensive, plentiful ingredients, that not only satisfy our hunger, but tend to make us feel warm and fuzzy with memories of childhood, gram ma's house, or lean years when we weren't so invested in accumulating 'stuff' but were happy with a hot meal on the table each day.

I recently ran across this wonderful noodle dish in Mark Bittman's minimalist column in the NY Times. Mark made his version with thinly sliced pork, but it could certainly be made with chicken or even tofu.

I chose to make it with just vegetables. Shredded Napa cabbage, carrots, sweet onion, wilted down with minced fresh ginger, then mixed with cooked noodles and a zingy sauce that's easily concocted by opening a few bottles of condiments and stirring together an enhancing combination of sweet, savory, salty and hot.

Like most vegan dishes I make, I thought it was fine without the need for added protein. And finer yet the next day, when I reheated the leftovers. Best, warmed slowly in the top of a double boiler. But then, I tossed the microwave out years ago. The double boiler is my 'go to' method for reheating almost everything.

For a complete ingredient list and step by step instructions, check out Mark's column.

Great food need not be complicated nor expensive, and the preparation need not be difficult nor time consuming. Try some easy one pot/one dish meals. Easy on the cook, easy on the budget, too!