Soba Noodles with Bok Choy and Shitakes

College students are notoriously bad with food safety. It’s not uncommon for students to devour a pizza after 24-hour, under-bed storage. “I think it smells OK.” No one with a brain could write a recipe for this group that requires impeccable refrigeration, like raw fish. Instead, here’s a tasty, quick and cooked dish with Japanese flavors.

What you need:

1 box soba noodles

8 oz. shitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced thinly

2 bunches baby bok choy, cut into 1/2″ pieces

3 Tbs. soy sauce

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 Tbs. rice wine vinegar

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat until simmering. Add red pepper flakes and garlic, stir and cook for 30 seconds.

2. Add shitake slices, cook for two minutes, then add bok choy and stir. Cook vegetables for 4 minutes on medium-high heat. Remove from heat.

3. Meanwhile, cook soba noodles according to package directions. Drain, toss with vegetables, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar in the saute pan. Serve.

Yields four servings.