Miso-Marinated Portabella and Eggplant Over Soba Noodles

Roberto Martin only got into vegan cooking after he got a job working for Ellen Degeneres. Since then, he’s fed two of the biggest celebrity vegans in the country — Degeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi —written two cookbooks, and opened a vegan restaurant, eLOVate, in Los Angeles.

Martin says the key to good vegan cooking is making sure there’s flavor to the food. He uses a mix of Asian flavors for his miso-marinated portabella eggplant recipe, which he serves over soba noodles.

“Using a portabella mushroom in a vegan dish is considered ‘unimaginative’ or way too ‘cliché,’ and generally speaking, I’m inclined to agree,” Martin says. “But here’s the thing: portabellas are rad! They taste unbelievably good when marinated and really hold any flavor you give them. Paired with eggplant, broccoli, and soba, they make for a dish I would be proud to put on a restaurant menu.”

Miso-Marinated Portabella and Eggplant over Soba Noodles
Makes 4 servings

4 large, thick portabella mushrooms
4 medium Japanese eggplants, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red or yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1 bunch scallions, sliced very thin on the bias, white and green parts held separately
1 pound (4 cups) broccoli, cut into small bite-size florets
? cup low-sodium soy sauce

For the marinade:
¼ cup sake
¼ cup mirin
? cup white miso paste
¼ cup organic brown sugar
4 large garlic cloves, grated on a microplane zester or finely minced
One 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated on a microplane zester or finely minced
Zest of 1 tangerine (if available) or ? orange
Juice of 1 tangerine (if available) or ? orange
Freshly ground black pepper as needed

For the Noodles:
One 9.5-ounce package organic soba noodles
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

Note: You should plan to marinate the veggies for at least three hours.

Marinade:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, simmer and whisk the sake, mirin, miso, and sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the alcohol is cooked out of the sake, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the garlic, ginger, zest, and juice. Grind in some fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Mushrooms:
For each mushroom, remove the stem and using a small teaspoon, scrape off the gills. Gently peel the top skin from the mushroom to allow the marinade to penetrate the flesh. In a large bowl gently mix the mushrooms and eggplant in the marinade so that all sides are generously coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.

Soba Noodles:
Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain and reserve the noodles in a large metal bowl. Add the sesame oil to the noodles and toss to coat and prevent sticking.

Heat a large sauté pan or skillet over high heat until it is blazing hot. Sprinkle the dry pan with a dash of kosher salt. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and wait for it to shimmer. Add the peppers and toss until they are soft and charred, about 8 to 10 minutes. Just before the peppers look done stir in the white scallions and toss until the onions look wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the peppers and onions to the soba noodles and mix in the green scallions as well.

In a stockpot, bring about 3 quarts of water and a pinch of salt to a rolling boil.
Add the broccoli florets to the boiling water and cook them until they turn bright green but not soft (about 3 minutes). Remove the broccoli with a spider skimmer, strainer, or slotted spoon keeping the hot water in the pot. Add the broccoli florets and soy sauce to the soba noodles.

Assembly:
Bring the mushrooms and eggplant to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly oil a foil-lined sheet tray and place the mushroom and eggplant flat side up on the sheet tray. Bring the broccoli water back to a boil.

Bake the mushrooms and eggplants for 9 minutes. While the mushrooms are in the oven heat the soba noodles by placing the bowl over the boiling water and gently tossing the noodles. Using a pair of tongs, mound a generous portion of noodles in a shallow bowl or large plate. Place one mushroom and two eggplant halves over the noodles and spoon a little extra marinade over the veg. Serve immediately.

This dish does not freeze well but is good for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

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