Meal of noodles, greens, nuts

Here’s a simple, warming dish that can let us down gently from all the holiday food fanfare.

It is so user-friendly that it even employs a microwave, which is something my recipes very rarely do.

Of course, you are not required to use it. This is just to let you know that you can. Steaming or blanching also work just fine for the greens.

This dish is filling enough (just) to get you through the evening happily, but it won’t compound the overstuffed holiday aftermath syndrome. Tofu or leftover cooked chicken or other meat all go very well on here, making it a good destination for leftovers.

Slender, dark, flavorful buckwheat noodles (also known as soba) are available in Japanese food shops and in natural foods groceries.

They are chewy and combine beautifully with cooked greens and toasted cashews for a very satisfying, quickly prepared one-dish meal.

Buckwheat noodles with cashews and greens

1 tablespoon light-colored

honey

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 teaspoon soy sauce

4 ounces uncooked Japanese-style buckwheat noodles

1 10-ounce package baby spinach leaves (or 2 5-ounce packages) or 10 ounces of any combination of kale, collard greens or mixed braising greens, stemmed and coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons Chinese-style roasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon minced or crushed garlic

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