Miso Mushrooms, Crispy Broccoli, and Kimchi Quinoa

Here is how I was feeling last night..

Stolen from TheKitchn

but made into my own with the mighty Egg...

I have writers block.. but I definitely don't have cooker's block.  I have 19 draft recipes.. the oldest one from November (whaaaaat?)
I need to make my own Kimchi to unlock my goddess trapped inside these hands.

Long Chinese Eggplant Japchae

Today was a good day.  Our Earth's amazing fruits have been offered to me for my intense discovery and enjoyment.

Long Chinese eggplants, also called finger eggplants found their way to my desk this morning along with a few jars of homemade jam.  Those eggplants have the word "finger" in them and they are purple!!  'Nuff said.
I also discovered some chiles from the Kabyle area of Algeria offered by a neighbor.  This dinner was the perfect combination of the gifts of life (minus the jam.. because it just wasn't going to happen for dinner).

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

3-4 long Chinese eggplants (finger eggplants), quartered lengthwise and cut into pieces

1 Tbsp oil (I used coconut)

Japchae:

2 Tbsp oil

1 onion, sliced into moons

2 carrots, grated

1 cup cabbage, shredded

1/2 cup sliced leeks

2 eggs

1 green chile (mine was from Kabyle)

250g Dangmyeon noodles (Korean sweet potato starch noodles), cooked and piping hot

Sauce:

1 tsp doubanjiang paste (Pixian broadbean chile paste)

2 Tbsp light soy sauce

2 Tbsp black vinegar

4 garlic cloves, grated

1 inch piece ginger, grated

Garnish:

few drops sesame oil

chopped green onions

sesame seeds

crushed peanuts

Directions

1.  Start with the eggplants.  Heat the oil in a wok or heavy based pan and cook the eggplant slices in one layer for about 3 minutes, then flip and cook until all sides are colored and they are bite tender.  Remove and set aside.

2.  Make your sauce by stirring all the ingredients together.

3.  Heat 1 Tbsp oil in the wok and cook the onions until translucent.  Push them to the sides of the wok and add the carrots and leeks in the center.  Stir fry for about a minute, then push to the sides and add the cabbage and green chile.  Stir fry for about 2 minutes, then push to the sides.

4.  Add the last Tbsp of oil in the center of the wok.  Crack the eggs and let them set a bit.  Stir to break them, then stir fry everything, adding half the sauce.

5.  Add the cooked hot noodles and the eggplants along with the rest of the sauce and heat through.
6.  Serve with desired garnishes

Anything mixing Korean style cooking, Chinese vegetables and Algerian chiles can only be a win win situation.  This was a slice of heaven on a cold day..

Korean Spicy Baby Squid with Cabbage

I haven't gotten over my desire to eat squid, octopus, and mussels yet and I really don't think that's going to be going away soon.  I had the opportunity to cook for 1.. myself, and when that comes along, I like to put myself through an individual pleasurable experience full of heat and flavor.
This type of meal makes my eyes roll back and my nose run.. but it makes my soul smile..

Similar to the grilled version, Onjingeo Tonggui
Serves 1 as a main, 2-4 as an appetizer

Ingredients

250g (8.8oz) baby squid, cleaned, tentacles separated, and rinsed

1 cup shredded cabbage

Marinade:

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
juice from 1/2 lime
2 small cloves garlic, grated

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp black vinegar

1 Tbsp Sriracha sauce or chile paste

Garnish:

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1/4 tsp sesame seeds
Directions
1.  Make the marinade by stirring all the ingredients together.  Put 2 Tbsp of the marinade into the shredded cabbage and stir the rest with the squid tubes.  Let marinate for 10 minutes.
2.  Heat a wok to high heat and cook the marinated cabbage for 2-3 minutes.  Set aside.
3.  In the same wok, add the squid along with the sauce.  Cook for no longer than 4 minutes, stirring.  If you cook longer, it will become rubbery.  You want it tender and nice and juicy.  They will shrivel a bit, but that's cute.

Serve cabbage topped with the squid garnished with chopped cilantro and sesame seeds.
Mine had a lot of sauce, but I like it that way.  You can add hot white rice to sop up that extra spicy sauce.

This level of spiciness takes me gently into a deep Nirvana...

Korean Spicy Grilled Squid -Ojingeo Tonggui

As the unexpected Stiletto evening became one with my mind, nothing could have satisfied my sea lust as this grilled squid has.
I've experimented with octopus with fabulous results, so this time I felt ready to announce to my fishmonger something a bit more exotic (compared to the experience I have with it).  I'm in great need of garlic and chile with this little cold I've been fighting since yesterday, so I decided to go Korean style with it.  I'll replicate this for guests any day.
It was perfect.
I'm sure it would be perfect with a "simpler" style of garlic, olive oil, lemon, parsley, and fleur de sel, but I wanted heat and pungency.. chile and ginger.
Yes.. is the word.

Inspired by Maangchi

Serves 1 as a main, 2-4 as an appetizer

Ingredients

2 small or 1 large squid (450g or 1 lb), cleaned and rinsed (I used shortfin red)

1-2 baby bok choy, halved

Basting sauce:

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp mustard

1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
juice from 1/2 lemon

2 small cloves garlic, grated

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp black vinegar

2 Tbsp Sriracha sauce or chile paste

Garnish:

1 Tbsp chopped green onions

1/4 tsp sesame seeds
Directions
1.  Make the basting sauce by stirring all the ingredients together.  Set aside.
2.  If your squid is small, no need to remove the skin (in my opinion).

 Slice into the long part as if to make rings, but don't cut all the way through.  Score the tentacles also.

2.  Griddle or plancha or bbq the bok choy on high, cut side down for about 1-2 minute, until charred, then turn over, baste a bit, and cook another 2-3 minutes.

3.  Place the squid, cut side up onto the hot hot griddle pan along with the tentacles.  Cook for 1 minute, then flip over and baste.

4.  Cook for another minute, then flip over and baste again, making sure the sauce gets into the neat little sensual crevices...

Serve hot.

Oh yes.. yes yes yes!!!!
Why why why have I never tried to make this before??
The best part of this is that it's remarkable quick to make.  I only had a griddle pan in the middle of freezing cold winter for 1 person, but this would be amazing on the plancha or bbq for a crowd and soo quick to cook so that everybody can enjoy a hot meal.
I've heard that "no" is powerful.. but nothing in this world is more breathtaking than a "YES!"

Dangmyeon Japchae

The little voice inside my heart whispered Japchae to me, and since that delicate sound, Japchae has been on my mind.  I've made an adapted version of this a few years ago with whatever I had on hand, but this version is the authentic one.  This Japchae is the one made with real dangmyeon sweet potato starch noodles, real shitake mushrooms, and real Korean kimchi on the side.  This time, it was store-bought kimchi, but I intend to make some myself soon, since I recently found a Korean cooking blog, Maangchi, that explains the technique.  I'm so lucky to have an Asian Wonderland supermarket where I live to supply myself with all these foreign yet so perfectly familiar ingredients.

I'm not sure I've ever been so excited about fermented or cultured cabbage in my life.  I'm not sure how I am able to be so enthusiastically excited about something I'm so familiar with, I should not be surprised by how delectable it is.  The best parts of life are when the most familiar parts completely take over you in a way you find so immensely pleasurable you completely let yourself go, completely blown away, and even more impatient for the next time.. if there is a next time..

Serves 4

Ingredients

250g or 2 bunches sweet potato noodles (dangmyeon)

few drizzles EVOO

1 carrot, julienned

1 onion, sliced into moons

5 shitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced

1 handful sliced black mushrooms, soaked

1 bunch spinach, cooked (or 4 defrosted cubes)

7-8 scallions, cut into 2 inch pieces

200g thinly sliced steak

3 cloves garlic, grated

2 Tbsp sesame oil

3 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp mirin

1 Tbsp cane sugar

lots of fresh ground black pepper

sesame seeds for garnish

Directions

1.  Cook the noodles in a pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes or until tender.  Drain but do not rinse.  Place in a large bowl and toss with 1 Tbsp sesame oil and 1 Tbsp soy sauce.

2.  In a wok or heavy based pan, splash some olive oil on high heat and cook the sliced carrots for about 1 minute, stirring.  Add the cooked carrots into the bowl with the noodles

3.  Drizzle a bit more olive oil into the wok and cook the onions until translucent.  Add the onions into the bowl with the other friends.

4.  Drizzle just a touch more olive oil into the wok and cook the soaked mushrooms.  Cook for a few minutes until fragrant, then add the spinach and heat through.  Add this into the bowl with everyone else.

5.  Drizzle another dash of olive oil into the wok and add the scallions.  Stir fry for about 30 seconds, then add the steak slices.  Color well and add 1 Tbsp mirin and a bit of soy sauce.  Cook for about 2-3 minutes, then add it all to the bowl.

6.  Add the sugar, rest of the sesame oil, and soy sauce into the bowl with some freshly ground black pepper.  Toss well.  It should still be piping hot if you organized yourself well.

Serve garnished with sesame seeds and with a side of kimchi, if you are lucky enough to find some.
If needed, additional sesame oil and soy sauce can be added to each individual serving.  I didn't want to overdo it with the seasoning and found that my way of doing it was exactly how I wanted it (but yet so surprisingly good I wondered if I was still on Earth).
Those noodles are truly amazing.  It's like they come from a different universe.  This is the first time I've used them for their intended purpose (in a hot dish) and they are extremely hard to substitute.  They keep their chewy texture, they are clear and brownish when hot, but when used in a salad become translucent blue.. which is freaky, but I love it!

The kimchi I had was very spicy, so I didn't feel the need to add any more heat.  If you don't have kimchi, you might want to add some chili powder or even cut a whole thai chili into your plate.  I really enjoyed the acidity of the kimchi with the japchae.. it took me to another level.. again...

Sweet Potato Bun Trung Chien (Omelette Noodle)

I may be going through something inexplicable, but I want to do "Unmade Bed" salads all the time.  I know I've been doing 3 days straight of this, but I can't get enough.. and most importantly, I keep changing up the ingredients so it's really never the same salad.  The thing is, I'm crazy about the order/disorder parallel.  I can't get enough.  It's a blatant brain tease.  You are usually in one of the two categories.. orderly, or chaotic.  But here, you are both, and it's wonderful, and you can just hope it lasts because your basil "tree" is now anorexic so you don't have much more time.. maybe this is the last one before a long period of abstinence...  

Are you following me here?

I can do it Vietnamese style, I can do it Lebanese style, I can do it Chinese style, but today I'm doing it my style.  I suppose this is Vietnamese, but I put some Doubanjiang in my Trung Chien.  For those not fluent in Cantonese or Vietnamese, that means I put some spicy Sichuan broad bean paste in my omelette.  I cooked it while imagining Korean Gyeran Mari, except I didn't roll it while cooking, but rolled it afterwards.  Ooo I'll be serving that for happy hour one of these days.

Then I added avocado to my toppings.  

What?  

Yes I needed more protein in there and I am from SoCal after all.  And avocado goes with everything.

Here I go again.. in quadruple fusion.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

200g sweet potato noodles, cooked, drained, and cooled

Trung Chien(Omelette):

3 large or 4 small eggs, beaten

1 small zucchini, julienned

1 small green onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp doubanjiang (Pixian spicy broadbean paste)

1/2 Tbsp sesame oil

Fresh Toppings:

1 carrot, julienned

1/2 cucumber, julienned

handful mung bean sprouts

1 large avocado, cubed

Herb Toppings:

handful chopped basil

handful chopped cilantro

handful chopped scallions

Crunchy Toppings:

handful crushed peanuts

handful fried shallots

Nuac Mam Cham sauce:

1 Tbsp nuac nam (fish sauce)

1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp mirin

1 cloves garlic, grated

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 thai chili, chopped

1 Tbsp water

1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger

Directions

1.  Make the Trung Chien Omelette.  Heat the sesame oil in a pan and add the zucchini.  Cook, stirring until lightly colored.  Beat the chopped green onion and doubanjiang with the eggs.  Pour into the pan and turn the heat down to medium low.  Cook until the top is barely jiggly, then transfer to a plate.

If you want to do it Gyeran Mari style, roll it while you cook and then slice it into sushi.  I didn't do it quite like that (but I will soon).  Slice up the omelette and divide it into the number of plates you are planning to make.

2.  Make the Nuac Mam Cham sauce by stirring all the ingredients together.  Set aside.

3.  Assemble.  This is my ultimate favorite part.

Place a portion of those freakishly sexy sweet potato noodles at the bottom of the serving plate and arrange the sliced omelette, cucumber, carrot, and bean sprouts in a semi circle. 

 Keep adding things in the circle.. the scallions, cilantro, basil, avocado

 Don't forget the crunchy goodness!  Peanuts and fried shallots!

And then the sour goodness.. a few tablespoons of the Nuac Mam Cham sauce.

Then comes the Chaos.. take a deep breath, admire the ephemeral beauty of each item in its place.. then mix it all together like a crazy person with your chopsticks.

Feel relieved that the orderly plate was just temporary.

Live in the moment or forever hold your peace...

Glass Noodle Japchae

Glass noodles are kind of cool, because they aren't noodles at all. They're made from mung bean thread, so they're actually vegetables! I actually just threw this together using meat marinated for Bulgogi, and then realized it much resembles Korean Japchae.. minus the mushrooms. The hub loved it and voted YES for including it in our monthly rotation. I'm not claiming it is authentic Japchae, but is the result of what I had in the kitchen...
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 bundle glass noodles (250g)
3/4 lb thinly sliced beef
4 leaves of kale, ribbed and julienned
1 onion, julienned
1 zucchini, sliced thinly
1 Tbsp sesame oil
Marinade:
2 Tbsp soy sauce (or GF alternative)
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 asian pear, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Directions:
1. Mix the marinade ingredients together and marinate the beef for 20 minutes.
2. Soak the noodles in hot water for 5-10 minutes (until almost tender) and set aside.
3. In a wok or heavy based pan, heat 1 Tbsp sesame oil and stir fry the onion and zucchini until golden.
4. Add the meat with marinade as well as the kale. Cook through while stirring about 10 minutes. Taste the beef and make sure it is cooked. Adjust the seasoning.
5. Add the glass noodles and stir fry until noodles are tender (approx 5 minutes)

Serve and eat with chopsticks to get the maximum pleasure out of it!
I added red pepper flakes to my plate because I love da heat.
I can't wait to buy more of these noodles. They don't get mushy like rice noodles do and they certainly make me feel like I'm eating healthy without the hub feeling like I'm imposing "health food" on him!

Bulgogi - Korean BBQ

We recently met a Korean-French couple who invited us to dinner at their place. They made the most delicious Korean BBQ and Kimchi I'd ever had (see pics below)This brought back UCSD memories of weekly Korean BBQ for $5 a plate.. ah the good ol days! Anyhow, it was sooo good, that I decided to try it out. This came out really good, but minus the barbecue, wasn't as great as if made by a REAL Korean. Plus, I'm sure I'm missing a secret ingredient. BUT, this was very very good.
Ingredients:
1 lb beef, sliced into very thin steaks (mine looked more like stir fy)
Marinade:
2 Tbsp soy sauce (or GF alternative)
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp rice wine
1 asian pear, peeled and grated
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
for the wraps:
Leaves of lettuce or some sort of greens
Sesame leaves (I did not have, so I used basil.. good choice. You can use mint, too)
Seaweed wrappers.. for crunchiness (not pictured)
chili paste or other "salsa" of your choice
Directions:
1. In a deep dish, mix all the marinade ingredients together, then mix in the meat, rubbing each piece with your fingers to get the marinade into the grooves. Let sit for at least 1 hour in the fridge.
2. Light your bbq and grill the pieces of steak. If you don't have one and/or your slices fall through the grill, use a stove and frying pan.
3. When all this is done, serve as you wish, but the tastiest way to eat this is in a lettuce wrap with a little rice, sesame leaf, and hot sauce... with a side of kimchi, of course (but I didn't have any either)

I think I will do this again. I did like it, but I need a REAL Korean to give me a family recipe because I'm sure the ones you find on the internet are all missing something. Maybe it's because I miss the college days too much...