Root Vegetable Stir-Fry over Soba Noodles

I had one beet in the pond taking off, plus several carrots whose leaves were shading the cucumber vines.  After some debate, I decided to mash up cuisines and do this as a vegetarian meal.

Obviously, it's far easier to buy soba than to make it.  I had the afternoon off and hadn't made pasta by hand in a while.  With most of the ingredients on hand, this became a cheap option.  I only bought the tofu and turnip.

Root vegetables present an issue with stir-frying.  Many, like potatoes, need to be thoroughly cooked.  But then they get mushy.  I compromised and added a 5-minute steaming step before switching to the stir-fry portion of the recipe.  The result was vegetables that were cooked through, but not overly soft.  You don't really have to do it to the carrots, but I made the sticks thick so they would be the same size as the other veggies, and decided to cook them to the same texture.

*2 large carrots

*1 large beet

1/2 lb turnips

*4 stalks green onion

2 Tb oil

1/2 C soy sauce

*1 Tb black bean garlic sauce

1 package firm tofu

1 tsp cornstarch

4 servings soba noodles

1.  Peel carrots, beet, and turnip(s).  Cut into similar-sized, 2" long sticks.  Trim green onions and also cut into 2" long pieces.  I also kept the beet greens and chopped them to add with the stir-fry.

2.  Add root vegetables only to a large skillet with a lid.  Add 1/4 C water, cover, and heat on medium.  Cook for 5 minutes, while you start boiling the water for the noodles.  Also stir cornstarch into 1 Tb water and set aside.

3.  Uncover the vegetables and allow the water to boil off.  The turnips will have turned slightly pink from the beet, and even the carrot will be rosy.  You won't be able to tell once the soy sauce is added.  Add oil and stir to coat vegetables.  Continue to stir-fry for about 2 minutes.  Add onions, soy sauce, and black bean sauce and stir again to coat.  Chop tofu into sticks or cubes and add.

4.  Around now, the water should be boiling for the noodles.  Cook according to directions: 2 minutes for fresh pasta, about 6 for dried.  Continue to stir vegetables on low heat until the noodles are done.

5.  To thicken pan juices, drizzle cornstarch slurry into the skillet and stir until gelled.  It happens fast.

6.  Drain pasta and plate, topped with a generous amount of stir-fry mixture.

Difficulty rating  :)