Soba Noodles with Broccoli and Peanut Sauce

Today marked my last day of class for Spring semester at my community college. I took my two challenging microbiology tests earlier in the day and am now relaxing, stress-free at my place. Oh, how I no longer feel the pressure due to due dates and endless hours of studying!
Indeed, the stress of being a college student really puts a damper on our health sometimes doesn't it? But I'm very grateful that Rick owns a copy of Carole Raymond's "Student's Go Vegan Cookbook" because it shares easy recipes that are easy on our money and saves our precious time.
Here is what I made yesterday:

You won't know until you try it but these noodles were SO creamy and mushy in its delicious, Asian-inspired peanut sauce. I loved it! And it was indeed very quick and easy to make; I even considered the time it took to make lunch to be a study break!

Soba Noodles with Broccoli and Peanut Sauce
makes 2 to 3 servings

4 to 6 ounces soba noodles (I used udon)
8 ounces broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup Peanut Sauce (recipe follows)
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (I did not use this, since I was out)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or fresh parsley

Bring a pot of water to a rapid boil. Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than indicated on the package, and then add the broccoli to the boiling water. Continue cooking 1 minute longer until the noodles are al dente and the broccoli is bright green. Drain thoroughly in a colander and transfer the noodles and broccoli to a large bowl.
Add the Peanut Sauce and the red bell pepper. Stir to coat the noodles. Serve sprinkled with cilantro. Extra sauce will keep in the refrigerator for a week.

Peanut Sauce
(a 1/4 of this sauce is for the noodles; see list above)

1/2 cup natural-style peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon finely minced fresh garlic
about 1/3 to 1/2 cup hot water

In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, garlic, and ginger. Add enough hot water, a tablespoon at a time, to achieve a smooth sauce. Set aside.

Combine it all together and you get this:

Mushy, noodly deliciousness.

I'm not a mean person but our keytarist and genius of the band stopped by at our place to teach us some covers for our next show and I didn't leave any leftovers for him; he loves peanut butter! I swear I'm not evil... the noodles were just that yummy. ;)

Below are the nutrition facts for two people when using four ounces of soba noodles.

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories: 335

Fat: 9g

Carbs: 56g

Protein: 16g

Fiber: 9g

You can make this recipe gluten-free by using wheat-free soba noodles. You can also lower the amount of calories by using less sauce.

If you're not in a hurry to make a meal such as this speedy and easy-to-make recipe, you can choose to cook up a meal that is almost identical to this one: Udon Noodles with Tofu and Gingered Peanut Sauce. The only real difference is that today's recipe is quicker to make but the latter contains the use of more vegetables. Whichever you choose, they are both very delicious.

I hope you all enjoy this delicious recipe. Cheers to summer vacation!