Korean Spicy Soba Noodles…it’s how I rewarded myself and awakened my fleeting appetite this week. But before talking about this simple and satisfying dish, I want to share about my orientation week for the dietetic internship which officially begins next week!
There are 9 of us interns, and I can tell we are going to get real close by the time this is all over. Amazing ladies! We are also blessed to have an internship director, Professor Christy Youens, who exudes compassion, emits a contagious energy, and possesses incredible knowledge. We are her very first group, and we will make sure she remembers us as her best group ;).
While we will be at our respective rotation sites Tuesday-Friday, on Mondays we will meet at school for the Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy course where we will read research papers, learn evidence-based guidelines for common diseases, and present to the class on various topics and case studies. Every other Monday, we will meet for the Advanced Community Nutrition course. We are so fortunate to be partnering up with the National Center for Farmworker Health to help a predominately Hispanic/Latino community become healthier by increasing access to healthy foods and beverages. That’s all I can tell you at this point as we don’t have all the details yet. However, I do know that we’re ditching the textbooks and learning hands-on!
As for the specific rotation sites, we got our schedules that outline our lives for the next 10 months. A piece of paper never felt so heavy in my hands.
The sites are divided into 3 different categories: clinical, community, and business/management. This is generally the case with all dietetic internships, I believe. Looks like I’ll be starting with the clinical rotations (4 different hospitals) which will last through the first week of December.
During the week, we toured the various rotation sites (including a new facility which specializes in eating disorders! Super pumped about this one as I have gone through and overcome my struggles with anorexia/bingeing); briefly reviewed important topics such as kidney disease, nutrition support for critically ill patients, nutrition assessment; received CPR training; and ate ice cream (the highlight ;)).
I’m left feeling a bit overwhelmed, nervous, and scared that I may appear incompetent in front of my preceptors, all the while feeling excited. Summer was nice and relaxing, but I’m ready to put myself out there and just go full force. We shall check back after 3 months…that’s how much time I’m giving myself before I start feeling burnt out. And if you don’t hear from me for a while, that probably means I’m barely staying afloat. No worries… I shall return. Anyway, I look forward to chronicling my journey with you all. If you are considering becoming a Registered Dietitian or about to apply for a dietetic internship, hopefully you’ll find my recaps resourceful. If you are currently an intern, I would love to connect! I’m sure we could relate on so many levels ;).
Ok, now onto Spicy Soba Noodles. Even though it’s almost September, the Texas heat could care less. I melt in my car to and from school – my commute has gotten worse with ever-increasing traffic..1 hr 30 minutes each way. People! I know Austin is the most amazing place on earth but stop moving here!! Please? 🙂 Koreans like to eat boiling hot soups and spicy foods as they swear by its power to cool the body off from the brutal heat. Seems counterintuitive but somehow all the sweating and panting does just that.
It is super simple to make! Just slice all the veggies thinly (I was a bit lazy and it shows..the carrots are so fat! You want them skinnier), boil some eggs and noodles, make the sauce, and there you have it!
As you can see, it’s pretty darn spicy…just the way it should be. But not so much that it will have you drinking milk for the rest of the day. The addition of Sprite may seem a bit strange but I think it’s crucial as it adds another layer of flavor. Trust me, you’ll like it ;).
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Ingredients
Sauce:
- 4 Tbs Korean red pepper paste gochujang
- 3 Tbs rice vinegar
- 3 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 Tbs brown sugar
- 1 Tbs honey or corn syrup
- 1 Tbs sesame oil
- 3 Tbs Sprite
- 1 Tbs minced garlic
- sesame seed for topping
Noodles:
- 2 bundles of soba or buckwheat noodles
- 1 carrot julienned
- 1 cucumber julienned
- 1 red bell pepper julienned
- Chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 hardboiled eggs
Instructions
- The night before, In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce. Stir until brown sugar is dissolved.
- Prepare the veggies. Boil eggs. Set aside.
- Boil water and cook noodles according to package directions, about 5-6 minutes. Stir often to prevent sticking. Drain and rinse thoroughly in cold water.
I’ve been eating soba a lot this summer as my kids started to enjoy them (they didn’t like it last year… never know how their taste buds evolve!). Your spicy soba noodles look so delicious! I again started craving for soba, and this time drooling over your recipe…
You’ll do great, Min! Your Spicy Soba Noodles sound so fantastic! Pinning this 🙂 Thanks so much for linking up to All My Bloggy Friends! I hope you’ll join us again – the new party starts tomorrow {Tuesday} at 7 am Eastern time!
Another great dish from you! Pinning and I am sharing it tomorrow on my FB page.
Thanks for linking up at WIW!
This looks incredible! Pinning! Thanks for sharing it at Work it Wednesday this week… hope to see you back:)
Don’t get burned out, Min. Hang in there!
I am literally drooling over here with this dish! My oldest would love for me to make this up the next time he comes for dinner on the weekend! Pinning!
Thank you, Gloria, for the encouragement!
Min 🙂 So proud of you. I’m sure you’ll overcome your fear of hospitals and you’ll come out of this internship having learnt so much 🙂 I haven’t cooked with soba noodles before, but I love stir-fried soba (seems like I love everything stir-fried)..Blame my Asian roots! : ) And how cool is it that you use SPRITE in your sauce???? xoxo, F.
Aww..thank you, Felicia! I sure hope so..whether I like it or not, I have to spend my next 12 weeks there. Eeks. Hehe stir-fried soba is delicious 😉
Wow, sounds like you really hit the ground running! I’m so excited for all the learning and new experiences that this year will bring you. I hope the hospital rotation will be better than you expect. I remember when I was on my NICU rotation, how helpful the dietitian was during rounds, with helping us figure out how to adjust TPN and make sure the babies were getting the optimal nutrition. You have picked a great career and I know you will bless many people through your work 🙂 Will be praying for you as you make these big transitions!! Please keep me posted on how you’re doing 🙂
Maura!! I’ve been meaning to call you! So much to share. Hopefully soon…I go to Dell Children’s for 2 weeks, and I’m sure I’ll spend some time in the NICU. I’m ready to learn ;). Miss you and ttys!! xoxo
Min, thats so exciting! I’m kinda jealous, I looked into doing that a while ago and convinced myself that it wasn’t the right time. Now, I’m kinda regretting it. Guess I will have to live and learn through you, hope your okay with that. 🙂 Great recipe girl, looks delicious. Wasn’t expecting the sprite in that. Pinning! 🙂
Hi Krista! Looking back, I don’t know how I did it…but I’m so glad I made the decision to pursue a new career! The way I see it, it’s never too late and there’s never a perfect time so if you truly feel led to study nutrition, I say go for it! Until then, yes, you can follow my journey ;).
Looks delicious! My husband and I love spicy food. Thanks for linking up at the Pin It Monday party! 🙂
So exciting about your internship details! I am sure you’ll get used to the hospital setting soon, I think many things become familiar when you are faced with them regularly and cease to be as daunting as they are when you don’t know them well. Also, this noodle dish is incredible!
Thank you, Kari! I think you are right. I need to face head-on and not worry so much. Hopefully,everything will fall into place ;).
Amazing! This is just what I need on a hot summer day!
These noodles look so yummy! I wonder if some lemon and lime juice would be a good substitute for the flavor of the Sprite.
Told you I would find your blog…
Haha! You sure did…I guess it’s not that hard to find? I should’ve known..
I would advise you to just leave out Sprite all together rather than substitute. Hope you have a great weekend (get plenty of rest!) and see you on Tuesday 😉
My husband would love these noodles, he loves anything spicy. I’ll have to make these soon. Good luck with your internship, it sounds like a great experience. Have a wonderful weekend Min!
Thank you, Ashley! I’m really looking forward to these next 10 months ;). I hope your husband will like this dish as much as mine. Hope you have a lovely weekend as well!
Wow…internships sound crazy! I’m sure you will be brilliant. I hate hospitals as well. When each of my kids were born, I was discharged within 12 hours…I wanted out! 🙂
Aww thank you, Lisa! I hope so….
Haha! Maybe you hate hospitals more than I do…12 hours? Let’s see how long I’ll stay when I give birth 😉
Hi Min!
Congrats to you on the internship!!! I am so happy for you!! I also just read your other post, “An RD in the making”! Wow . . I am so happy for you that you are about to start a career doing what you love, has purpose and can help other people! Love your story and to see how well you are doing now, Amazing!
And these soba noodles. . yummmmm!!! Love the addition of the Sprite! I can’t wait to try this! (by the way, thank you for letting me know about the problems you were having with my blog. there was something I needed to update within Wordpress. . thank you!!)
Thank you, unnie! I didn’t even know that nutrition major existed in college, and here I am…even I’m amazed by how far I’ve come. I’m looking forward to all that’s to come! Yes…soba noodles are def one of my weaknesses as well. I’m glad you got everything squared away! There are so many updates on WordPress…as a non-techy person, I always get crazy nervous when I hit that button haha. Hope you and your family are doing well! Any luck finding a house? Hang in there!