When I know I have a busy week ahead, I like to make a few side dishes on Sunday that can be paired with fish or chicken for dinner during the week, or, stand on their own for lunch with fruit, nuts, or yogurt.
For example, check out this Soba Noodle Salad - it’s one of my staples. Soba noodles are native Japanese noodles made from buckwheat and wheat flour. They are roughly as thick as spaghetti and can be purchased like dried pasta.
Despite it’s name, buckwheat contains no wheat and is gluten-free. One might assume that buckwheat is a cereal grain, although it’s actually a fruit seed related to rhubarb and sorrel. It is uniquely rich in proteins, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and high in fiber. Buckwheat is an excellent plant source of easily digestive protein and contains eight essential amino acids, so it’s close to being a “complete” protein.
Buckwheat takes many shapes. Ground to a flour, it can be turned into soba noodles. When roasted, buckwheat seeds are called “kasha.” If you haven’t tried kasha before, they make a tasty hot cereal. Kasha can also be cooked with onions and chicken stock, and then mixed with bowtie pasta for a classic Jewish dish – Kasha Varnishkes – an ultimate comfort food.
