The Japanese spin buckwheat flour into culinary gold with their rich, flavorful soba noodles. Buckwheat flour has many health benefits, including being much richer in antioxidants than wheat pasta. If you have a choice, buy inaka or “country” soba, because it’s made entirely from whole, unrefined buckwheat—which means more fiber. Traditionally, soba is served hot in a broth or cold with a sweetened soy dipping sauce called tsuyu. This simplified version is flavored with sesame, an American favorite.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　5 ounces soba noodles (Japanese buckwheat noodles)

　　8 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined

　　6 ounces fresh snow peas, strings removed

　　2/3 cup Rockin’ Asian Stir-Fry Sauce (page 210) or store-bought low-fat, low-calorie Asian sauce

　　1 bunch scallions (white and green parts), sliced thin on the diagonal

　　2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

　　

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the package directions, about 4 minutes. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the shrimp and snow peas to the pot and cook them with the noodles for 2 minutes; drain.

　　

Step 2

In a large bowl, combine the drained noodles, shrimp, and snow peas with the Asian sauce, scallions, and sesame seeds. Toss the mixture to coat the ingredients completely in the sauce, and serve immediately.

　　

nutrition information

Step 3

Fat: 16g (before), 4.7g (after)

　　

Step 4

Calories: 570 (before), 262 (after)

　　

Step 5

Protein: 20g

　　

Step 6

Carbohydrates: 37g

　　

Step 7

Cholesterol: 86mg

　　

Step 8

Fiber: 4g

　　

Step 9

Sodium: 1,026mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.