THE STIR FRY NOODLE SUPREME- JAPCHAE(잡채)

Ingredients:

• Starch noodles (“dangmyun”)
• 150 grams of beef
• 1 bunch of spinach
• 1 medium size carrot
• 1 medium size onion
• mushrooms (5 dried shiitake and 1 package of white mushrooms)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 7-8 green onions
• soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, pepper, and sesame seeds

Makes 4 servings.

How to prepare your ingredients before stir frying:

1. Soak 5 dried shitake mushrooms in warm water for a few hours until they become soft. Squeeze the water out of them and slice thinly.
2. Slice a package of white mushrooms (2 cups’ worth).
3. Cut a carrot into thin matchstick-shaped pieces 5 cm long.
4. Cut 7 -8 green onions into 7 cm long pieces.
5. Slice one onion thinly.
6. Slice 150 grams of beef into thin strips.

Now let’s start!

1. Boil 2 bunches of noodles in boiling water in a big pot for about 3 minutes. When the noodles are soft, drain them and put in a large bowl.
2. Cut the noodles several times by using scissors and add 1 tbsp. of soy sauce and 1 tbsp. of sesame oil. Mix it up and set aside.
   *tip: Take one sample and taste it to see whether or not it’s cooked properly. If it feels soft, it’s finished.
3. In the boiling water, add a bunch of spinach and stir it gently for 1 minute. Then take it out and rinse it in cold water 3 times. Remove any grit or dead leaves thoroughly while rinsing. Squeeze it gently to get the water out, then cut it into 5 cm pieces.
4. Add ½ tbsp. soy sauce and ½ tbsp. sesame oil and mix it and place it onto the large bowl.
   *tip: When you drain the hot water from the pot, don’t discard the hot water. Put it back into the pot so you can cook your spinach quickly.
5. On a heated pan, put a few drops of olive oil and your carrot strips and stir it with a spatula for 30 seconds. Put it into the large bowl (don’t burn it!).
6. Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your sliced onion. Stir it until the onion looks translucent. Put it into the large bowl with your carrots.
7. Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add the sliced white mushrooms. Stir it for a bit and then put it in the large bowl.
8. Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your green onions. Stir for 1 minute and put it into the large bowl.
9. Place a few drops of olive oil on the pan and add your beef strips and your sliced shitake mushrooms. Stir it until it’s cooked well, then add 3 cloves of minced garlic, ½ tbsp. soy sauce and ½ tbsp. sugar. Stir for another 30 seconds and then put it into the large bowl.
10. Add 2 tbsp. of soy sauce, 3 tbsp. of sugar, 2 tbsp. of sesame oil, and 1 tsp. of ground pepper to the large bowl. Mix all ingredients, then sprinkle 1 tbsp. of toasted sesame seeds on the top.
11. Serve with rice and Kimchi, or as a side dish.

TOFU AS A SIDE DISH (두부)

Ok, so I am by no means a vegetarian but I did live with one for a about a year and in doing so I learned to really love tofu. Because of her I began my search for recipe’s we could both enjoy. Thankfully, I found this on Maangchi’s site (the Gods must have blessed her with quite a gift), and so made something we both enjoy to this day!

Two tofu side dishes.

Pan-fried tofu with spicy sauce
(두부 부침 양늄장)

Ingredients:

• Half package of tofu (about 10 oz.: 280 grams)
• soy sauce
• hot pepper flakes
• sugar
• green onion
• garlic
• sesame oil
• roasted sesame seeds

Instructions:

1. Slice the tofu into bite size pieces (¼ inch thick rectangles). You should get 10 pieces. Towel off each piece with a paper towel.
2. Heat a pan with 1 to 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil. Add the tofu and lower the heat. Cook over low heat about 5-7 minutes.
3. When the bottom of the tofu looks golden brown, turn it over and cook another 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the cooked tofu to a serving plate.
5. Make your sauce in a small bowl by mixing these ingredients:
   1 clove of minced garlic, 1 chopped green onion, 1 tsp. hot pepper flakes, 1 tsp. sugar (or honey), 2 tbsp. soy sauce, and 2 tsp. sesame oil
6. Spoon the sauce evenly over the tofu, and sprinkle some roasted sesame seeds just before serving.
7. Serve with rice as a side dish

Pan-fried tofu in soy sauce
(도보 간장 조림)

Ingredients:

• Half package of tofu (about 10 oz.: 280 grams)
• garlic
• soy sauce
• corn syrup
• black sesame seeds.

Instruction:

1. Slice the tofu into bite size pieces (¼ inch thick rectangles). You should get 10 pieces. Towel off each piece with a paper towel.
2. Heat a pan with 1 to 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil. Add the tofu and lower the heat. Cook over low heat about 5-7 minutes.
3. When the bottom of the tofu looks golden brown, turn it over and cook another 5 minutes.
4. Add 1 clove minced garlic, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. corn syrup and stir it to caramelize the tofu.
5. Turn the heat off and transfer the cooked tofu to a serving plate.
6. Sprinkle some roasted black sesame seeds before serving.
7. Serve with rice as a side dish.
   *tip: you can use this dish as a side dish for your doshirak (Korean lunch box)