Soba Noodles

Soba noodles are made of buckwheat and have the consistency of pasta. It's a good source of vitamins and dietary fibre. This is a bonus because I adore soba. I can eat bowls upon bowls of it. You can serve it hot, cold or room temperature. It can be in a salad, starter or soup. It's extremely versatile and lends itself to a variety of cooking styles. This dish is super easy and very delicious. I love the texture of the sticky wet noodle when paired with crunchy cucumber, scallions, smooth avocado and pan seared shrimp. You can have it as is or supplement the shrimp with extra firm tofu for a delicious vegetarian alternative that's just as pretty and tasty!

Ingredients
1/2 pound soba noodles
1 pound shelled and deveined shrimp
3 cloves garlic, 2.5 fine chop and 1/2 grated for sauce
1 inch ginger, 3/4 of which is julienned and 1/4 is grated for sauce
1 shallot fine slice
1 scallion thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cucumber diced
1 avocado, thin sliced or cubed
2.5 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1/2 tablespoon mirin
1 lime zested and juiced
1/2 lemon juiced
1 teaspoon oil (either peanut, vegetable or canola)
1.5 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Bring water to a boil and add soba. Cook according to instruction. Combine wet ingredients, brown sugar, grated garlic and ginger in a large bowl. Heat pan and add oil. On med-low heat saute shallots until soft and remove with a slotted spoon, draining any excess oil. Add garlic and ginger and cook until garlic has softened. Remove with a slotted spoon, draining any excess oil. If the pan needs more oil add some otherwise add the shrimp, increase heat to med-high and cook until pink. Do not overcook as the shrimp will be rubber. About 1.5 minutes per side is plenty. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Go light as there's a lot of sodium in the sauce. When the soba has cooked, drain and toss in with wet ingredients. Add cilantro, cucumber, and green onion. Toss. Serve with avocado, shrimp and a sprinkling of sesame seed.