Throw Together Noodle

Yakisoba can really be prepared with any combination of meat, tofu and vegetable, though most commonly made with cabbage, carrots, onion and pork.
I am not a huge fan of pork, but I will cook it when specifically asked to do so. (ie: pork and raspberry sauce.) I prefer a small amount of chicken or use tofu in yakisoba.
I do love cabbage, though! This is a great way to use purple cabbage.

I usually skip the sauce, citing the uselessness of sugar and grease for dinner; if anyone asks. Instead throwing a bit of mushroom flavored soy sauce, drop of teriyaki or worchesterhire sauce over it and cutting it with broth before it gets too salty. Too much broth, and they won't fry. Just so you know!

The sauce can be bought at any local Asian grocery. I am the clueless white girl perusing the nearby Local H Mart and buying rice in bulk on a regular basis. (The one I went to before I moved had nicer vegetables.)

Supposedly you aren't supposed to use soba noodles, but that's how they were served the first time I had them. I like them that way. I haven't yet found pure buckwheat noodles; most are made from a combination of wheat and buckwheat, so this recipe does not pass the gluten-free test. The recipe above uses soba, but most recipes will call for top ramen (without spice packet) or udon.

Tonight I used buckwheat soba noodles, two chicken thighs cut very small, 1/2 lbs white mushrooms sliced, ginger and mung bean sprouts. I also added about a 1/4 of super delicious celery/mushroom broth I'm making. We were supposed to have chicken soup for dinner, but somehow ended up with this.
Clean plates all around!

(Lucky had rice noodles with egg, broth and cashews. There may have been carrot and mushroom in there, but no one noticed...)

Raspberry Sauce Over Pork Chops, With Garlic Mashers

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 (4 ounce) boneless pork loin chops
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 sprigs fresh thyme (optional) 




Directions
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). In a small bowl, combine crushed thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Rub evenly over pork chops.
2. Melt butter and olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Cook pork chops for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, turning once. Remove from skillet and keep warm in preheated oven.
3. In the skillet, combine raspberry jam, orange juice, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce is reduced to desired consistency (sauce will thicken as it cools). Spoon sauce in a pool onto a serving plate, and top with pork chops. Garnish with sprigs of thyme. 


Served with garlic mashed potatoes, and peas.