A Life, Lived: Udon-Beef Noodle Bowl

January 11, 2010

Udon-Beef Noodle Bowl

Noodle bowls seem to be everywhere these days - perhaps this is the ultimate comfort food. Some would rather have a plate of mac and cheese - not me. I'll take a bowl filled to the brim with vegetables, beef, noodles, and a hot and spicy broth. MMMM

I saw this recipe the other day on the Cooking Light website and printed it off for future use. It wasn't long before I decided I needed some comfort food and we sat down to steaming bowls.

This recipe produces a noodle bowl that is a cross between a soup and a traditional noodle dish. Sure you can use chopsticks to grab all of the noodles, beef, and veggies but you will want a spoon to savor every drop of the broth!

Then you'll look at the calorie/fat content and wonder - why haven't I made this before?

We made a few changes ot the recipe - dried udon noodles were impossible to find so I used the whole-wheat spaghetti suggested in the recipe. We added more crushed red pepper . . . who wouldn't? I used extra garlic.

When I make this next I will likely add some ginger and more veggies - bok choy would be nice.

Perhaps this weekend . . . mmmmm.

Udon-Beef Noodle Bowl

8 ounces uncooked udon noodles (thick, round fresh Japanese wheat noodles) or spaghetti
1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 (14 1/4-ounce) cans low-salt beef broth
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons sake (rice wine) or dry sherry
1 tablespoon honey
Cooking spray
2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot
8 ounces top round, thinly sliced
3/4 cup diagonally cut green onions
1 (6-ounce) bag prewashed baby spinach

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.

Place garlic, pepper and broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Combine soy sauce, sake, and honey in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and carrot; saute 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce mixture; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add vegetable mixture to broth mixture. Stir in beef; cook 2 minutes or until beef loses its pink color. Stir in noodles, green onions and spinach. Serve immediately.

Yield: 5 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups). 306 cal, 5.6g fat, 22.4g pro, 36.6g carb, 2.4g fiber, 39mg chol, 3.4mg iron, 707mg sod, 59mg calc.