SWEET POTATO YAKI SOBA

This post is very exciting… you have been warned!

Firstly a few things to get out of the way before we dive into the recipe. Did you know that sweet potatoes can be eaten raw (unlike its whiter, starchier counterpart: the potato which definitely cannot be eaten raw!)? And did you know you could spiralise sweet potato to make the most beautiful orange noodles. I like to call them swoodles. Poodles are potato noodles of course, see my recipe for Chinese Silky Potatoes for the most delicious spiralised potato recipe. But let’s face it, sweet potato wins the medal on both the colourful front and the nutrition front so I whipped up this yaki soba inspired dish on a chilly evening and the result is something to behold.

So here is a Bain-Marie take on a classic Japanese noodle dish, reinterpreted with a rainbow of seasonal vegetables (think rainbow chard, leeks, peppers, mushrooms), tamari, ginger, garlic, chilli, lemon juice and a touch of sweetness that comes from the “swoodles”. Truly a hug in a bowl. It takes minutes to throw together and the whole family will love it. We demo-ed this recipe at our Eat The Rainbow cooking class for children and parents and children alike couldn’t get enough.

The dish is both warming and comforting from the ginger and chilli yet so light and nourishing, making it the perfect quick evening meal so as not to go to bed having eaten anything too heavy. In true Japanese style, you can throw a pan-fried sunny side up egg on top of each serving and you’ve got yourself the most balanced and protein-rich meal. Or if you're not veggie, feel free to add any other protein of choice such as some sustainably-sourced salmon, prawns or chicken. This is the perfect time of year to be loading up on orange foods like sweet potatoes that are bursting with beta-carotene, as it helps prepare your skin for the sun from the inside out. See my post on How to Protect Your Skin from The Sun Naturally.

That’s it for today. Hope to see some of you at our People’s Kitchen later on today! If not join us at the next one, we host our community kitchen every third Sunday of the month so next one is 17th July.

Happy Sunday! And hope you find the time to make this Sweet Potato Yaki Soba soon, as it is just delightful, quick to make, easy on the eyes and on the tummy.

With sweet potato love,

Marie

Sweet Potato Yaki Soba

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 2-3 (600g) sweet potatoes, spiralised on the smallest setting
• 2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, finely sliced
• 1" piece ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tbsp dried red chilli flakes or 1 red chilli pepper
• 4 cabbage leaves, finely sliced
• 1 red pepper, finely sliced
• 8 shiitake mushrooms (or oyster) 
• 300g rainbow chard, spinach and/or kale (few large handfuls)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp tamari soy sauce
• 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
• 2 spring onions
• handful fresh coriander
• dried dulse flakes or other seaweed flakes (optional but delicious for that traditional seaweed flavour)

Instructions:

1. Spiralise the sweet potato on the smallest setting. Heat the olive oil or avocado oil in a large wok and add the sweet potato noodles. Cook for 15-20 minutes on a medium heat, tossing every few minutes to prevent burning. You can add 1-2 tbsp of water to prevent sticking.

2. Whilst the sweet potato noodles are cooking, finely mince the garlic, ginger and chilli. Add sesame oil to a frying pan and add the garlic, ginger and half the chilli and heat gently until it is fragrant.

3. Slice the cabbage and red pepper thinly and add both to pan. Slice the mushrooms and rainbow chard then add all to the pan. Pour in the tamari and lemon juice, give it all a stir and leave to cook for a few minutes.

4. Finally, slice the remaining chilli (if using fresh chilli) and spring onions on a slant. When the sweet potato noodles are softened but still firm to the bite, remove them from the heat and gently combine with the stir-fried vegetables.

5. Plate up and sprinkle with lots of black sesame seeds, the chopped fresh chilli, spring onion, coriander leaves and seaweed flakes. Enjoy!