Chickpea Soba Noodle Soup and snacks

I am not the kind of person who usually goes for fusion cuisine - so this combination of chickpeas with soba noodles and western and asian flavours was a stretch for me, but one I am really glad I made. The miso and the chickpeas and the starch from the noodles combined to make a velvety broth with a rich, comforting flavour - almost a gravy. this one's a keeper.

I knew snacks might be a challenge for me this month, as that is where I eat a lot of dairy and eggs. I've been eating fruit with nuts - this afternoon i had thawed frozen strawberries with toasted almonds. Pretty damn delish. For morning snack I ended up with a surprise - leftover cauliflower and cilantro sauce from my boss's catered bday party this weekend - which was all veggie, done by the talented Meg at Large Marge Sustainables. I brought home every scrap of the cauliflower and sauce and we had it tonight with the much hyped Chickpea Cutlets from Veganomicon - worth the hype I might add. Hubby proclaimed: "this, I like." The feedback we all want from our culinary adventures, no? The recipe is mushed chickpeas with wheat gluten and breadcrumbs. I subbed in matzo meal, because that's what I had. The vital wheat gluten is an awesome ingredient, I will make more of their 'meat-alikes' like bean balls, and of course, actual seitan (simmered wheat gluten). Incidentally, I brought home 4 of Meg's Scharffen Berger Chocolate/Pomegranate mini bday cupcakes, and they were divine. This weekend I think I might delve into the vegan baking section of the book...