BY JULIE CHENG

No more French fries, no more barbeque pork, no more bread with my butter. All those years eating deep-fried foods and saturated fats have given me high cholesterol, and I need to get it under control, fast.

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, high cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease and stroke because it can cause plaque build-up in your arteries, making it harder for blood to flow and increasing the chance of a blood clot developing.

I’ll become vegetarian rather than take medication like statins to reduce cholesterol, I vowed. For now, I’ll eat more vegetarian meals, which generally contain only a little saturated fat and a lot of nutrients and fibre.

Trouble is, I’m not a good cook. But recently, I discovered a Japanese store called the J Zone (1663 Renfrew near 1st Avenue) that offers many beautiful sauces that I can use to make a tasty noodle dish. Some sauces can be simply tossed with hot or cold buckwheat noodles and vegetables, and some sauces need to be cooked. Just ask the kind person at the counter what to do. I tried a sweet, salty soy-mirin sauce, and it made a quick, delicious meal.

I truly believe that eating more vegetables has helped lower my cholesterol levels, according to my latest blood test. It’s a reason to celebrate with a French fry or two.

Heart-healthy soy-sesame buckwheat noodles with vegetables

3–4 cups fresh vegetables such as carrots, asparagus, broccoli, spinach and green onion, julienned or chopped

3 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated (soaked in water overnight), sliced thin

1 tablespoon olive oil

2–3 tablespoons soy-mirin sauce or sauce of your choice, or more to taste

12 ounces (350 grams) buckwheat noodles

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add the buckwheat noodles. Turn heat to medium and simmer until done, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, julienne the carrots and chop the asparagus, broccoli and green onion into bite-size pieces. Thinly slice the shiitake mushrooms.

In a large pan, heat the olive oil and add carrots and mushrooms. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and broccoli and stir fry for another 2 minutes. Stir in the soy-mirin sauce, spinach and green onion. Remove from heat and cover.

When the buckwheat noodles are done, drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Return the noodles to the pot and toss with the sesame oil. Add the vegetable mixture and toss.

Serve warm or cold.

Julie Cheng has been the editor of the Renfrew-Collingwood Community News for more than 15 years.

^{Copyright 2023 Renfrew-Collingwood Community News}