Apparently I have a thing for kale. And noodles. Heaven knows my boyfriend and I have a thing for peanut butter— in fact I just ordered of 4 pack of our favorite kind online since our local natural foods store appears to have stopped carrying it. I probably eat so much kale because it’s so ubiquitous and is pretty much a mainstay at the farmers’ market; you can depend on kale even when those fair weather vegetables totally flake on you. It’s also really good, good for you, and incredibly versatile. I doubt I have to sell you on noodles.
*I use salted peanut butter here. If yours is unsalted, you might want to add a pinch of salt or a little extra tamari to the peanut sauce. Conversely, if you use super salty peanut butter (like some of the Whole Foods 365 brand varieties), you might want to use reduced sodium tamari.
*If your kale seems very tough, you might want to boil it first (before braising), for about 5 minutes.

1 (8.8 oz) package of soba noodles
drizzle of olive oil
½ small red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch kale, rough ends removed, chopped
salt
2 tbsp hemp seeds (optional)
sriracha for serving (optional)

For the Peanut Sauce, whisk together:
¼ cup smooth unsweetened peanut butter
1 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
½ tsp agave
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 tbsp warm water

• Drizzle some olive oil into a large pan and cook onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring fairly frequently.
• Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes, watching closely and stirring as needed.
• Stir in kale and a small pinch of salt, add a couple splashes of water, cover, and raise heat to medium high. Cook for about 6 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed.
• Meanwhile, cook noodles in lightly salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
• Toss noodles with kale and peanut sauce, and sprinkle on the hemp seeds, if using. Serve with sriracha if desired.

Yield: About 3 servings