Anyone who has tried to piece together a fully functional meal from disparate cupboard and fridge remains knows that random recipe concoctions can go very wrong sometimes, but once in a while you stumble upon some really nice combinations.  Working with ingredients on hand is great practice and pushes you to think about the ingredients in new ways  That’s how this Udon Noodle Stew (I was actually originally aiming for a soup) began, and while it doesn’t include any unusual or revolutionary combinations, it turned out surprisingly well on the first try, using a bunch of ingredients that were left over from other planned recipes.  Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:
2 x 500g packages of silken/soft tofu, sliced into chunks
1 bunch of green onions, diced
2 tsps. of salt
1 tsp of peppers
5 to 6 medium carrots, peeled and sliced.
3 to 4 heads of bok choy
1 cup of white mushrooms, chopped
2 tbsps. of olive oil
8 oz package of Udon Noodles
2L of vegetable broth
2 tbsp of white miso
1/4 cup of peanut butter

Directions:
1.  In a large pot, heat the 2 tbsps. of olive oil over medium heat.
2.  Add the green onions and mushrooms.  Cook for two to three minutes, until the onions are softened and the mushrooms release their water.
3.  In a medium sized dish, mix the chopped tofu together with 2 tsp of salt, and 1 tsp of pepper.
3.  Add the 2L of vegetable broth and mix in the 2 tbsp of miso and 1/4 cup of peanut butter.  Increase heat briefly to bring to a boil, and then reduce to simmer.
4.  Add the bok choy, tofu and carrots and cook for 20-25 minutes.
5.  Add the 8 oz of Udon noodles, and cook for another 20 minutes or so.