JAPANESE LUNCH NOODLES

      Title: JAPANESE LUNCH NOODLES
  Categories: Noodles, Entree
       Yield: 4 Servings
  
       8    Dried black mushrooms
            -(shiitakes)
       6 c  Hot water or stock
       1    Sweet potato (12oz)
            Peeled, cut in 1/2" dice
       1    Leek, trimmed, washed,
            And thinly sliced
       1    Zucchini, cut widthwise
            Into 1/4" slices
       4 c  Stemmed kale leaves, cut
            Crosswise into 1/2" strips
       6 tb Miso (pref hatcho-miso)
            Or to taste
       6 tb Mirin or
            A little less cream sherry
       2 tb (to 3 tbs) fresh udon or
       8 oz Dried udon or other pasta
       6 oz (to 8 oz) very thinly sliced
            Beef or chicken breast
       1 bn Scallions, trimmed
            Thinly sliced
  
   Soak the mushrooms in 1 cup hot water or stock in a bowl until soft,
   about 20 min. Stem the mushrooms and cut each cap in quarters,
   reserving the soaking liquid. Bring 4 qts of water to a boil in a
   large saucepan. Place the mushroom soaking liquid and remaining stock
   in another large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the sweet potato
   and leek and simmer for 3 min. Add the zucchini, mushrooms, and kale
   and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 2 min. Remove the pan
   from the heat and stir in the miso, mirin, and honey or sugar. Stir
   until all the miso is dissolved. Correct the seasoning, adding miso
   or honey or sugar to taste; the broth should be highly seasoned. The
   recipe can be prepared ahead to this stage. If preparing ahead, don't
   boil the water for the noodles. Just before serving, cook the noodles
   in the boiling water until tender but not soft, about 3 min for fresh
   noodles, 8 min for dried. Drain the noodles in a colander. Stir them
   into the broth with the beef or chicken and sliced scallions. Cook
   the noodles until thoroughly heated, but do not let the broth boil;
   you'll destroy some of the nutrients in the miso. Serve at once.
   
   Note: Original recipe called for 10 oz tofu (pref extra-firm or firm
   silken), cut widthwise into  1/4-inch slices. 6 to 8 oz thinly sliced
   beef or chicken breast is a suggested substitute, but the recipe
   doesn't say whether or not this should be cooked first.
   
   High-Flavor, Low-Fat Pasta by Stephen Raichlen ISBN 0-670-86581-8 From
   : Diane Lazarus
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