Beef Japchae (Stir Fried Korean Glass Noodles with Beef)

I love noodle dishes WITH A PASSION! I don't discriminate when it comes to noodles--they can be Cambodian-style noodles, Thai, Vietnamese, and in this case, Korean.

Japchae is one of my favorite noodle dishes, and homemade Japchae, is the only way to go!

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounce package of Korean Style Starch Noodle cooked according to packaging

2 carrots peeled and sliced into matchstick-sized strips

half of a red bell pepper sliced

half of an onion sliced

3 green onions cut about 1 1/2 inch wide

6 ounces of rehydrated shitake mushrooms (or any mushroom of your choice)

1 whole bunch of fresh spinach, blanched

3 large eggs lightly beaten and seasoned with a pinch of salt

12 ounces of thinly sliced tri-tip (or sirloin)

3 cloves of chopped garlic

sesame oil to taste

sesame seeds to taste

extra virgin olive oil

MARINADE FOR YOUR TRI-TIP:


1 Tablespoon of oyster sauce

2 teaspoons of black soy sauce

1 teaspoon of sugar

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

pinch of salt

TO MAKE THE SAUCE FOR YOUR JAPCHAE:


1 Tablespoon of soy sauce

2 1/2 Tablespoon of dark soy sauce

1 Tablespoon of oyster sauce

1/2 Tablespoon of sugar


INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook your glass noodles, drain them in a colander, and then add a little bit of sesame oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Place noodles into large mixing bowl.
2. Blanch your spinach in boiling water for about a minute or two, or until leaves turn bright green. Drain in colander under cold water, and using your hands, squeeze out any excess water. Add a small pinch of salt to your blanched spinach and place into your large mixing bowl with the cooked noodles.
3. Marinade your sliced beef using the marinade listed above. If you have time, marinade your beef 1 hour before, or overnight if possible.
4. With your skillet on medium high heat, add in your lightly beaten eggs. After about 2 minutes or so, check to see if your eggs are ready to flip. Flip eggs over using spatula, cook for additional one minute or so, and place finished eggs on platter. Once cooled, slice into strips for garnish.
5. Into a hot skillet, drizzle in some olive oil. Add in your carrots, and cook until almost tender. Add in your red bell pepper, a pinch of salt, and cook for another 2 minutes, or until just softened. If your skillet looks dry, add in more oil as needed. Throw in your white onion and green onions, and cook for another minute or two. Place all of your cooked veggies into your large mixing bowl.
6. Into the same skillet, drizzle in more olive oil. Add in your chopped garlic and cook until fragrant. Add in your marinaded beef, and cook for about two minutes on medium high heat. Add in your mushrooms, and cook for another 2 minutes, or until beef is cooked to your liking. Place cooked beef and mushrooms into your large mixing bowl.
7. Into a small mixing bowl, make your sauce for your japchae, cover with saran wrap, and microwave for 1 minute. Stir, and then pour sauce onto your cooked noodles. Using gloves, mix well. Taste for seasoning. Finish off with a drizzle of sesame oil and sesame seeds. Garnish with egg slices and serve!

NOTE:

*You may start off by pouring half of the japchae sauce into your large mixing bowl, and then gradually adding more if needed. Also, I like to let the noodles sit for about 10 minutes before serving, to allow the sauce to fully soak into the noodles.

*This noodle dish can be made hours ahead!

Chicken Larb (Laap Gai)

I love Asian salad's of all kinds, and Laap Gai is definitely one of my favorites! If you've ever been to an authentic Laos or Thai restaurant, chances are, you've probably come across this minced meat salad on the menu.

My version uses freshly minced galangal and minced lemongrass to kick things up a notch. The Khmer girl in me, just wont allow me to make this recipe without it!

Give my recipe a go, and you will not be disappointed! :)

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound of ground chicken (may sub with ground pork)

1 tsp of fresh galangal minced

2 Tablespoons of fresh lemongrass minced

1/2 of a shallot sliced

4-5 sprigs of mint chopped

4 sawtooth coriander chopped

handful of cilantro chopped

half of a green onion chopped (green part only)

2-3 limes

1 Tablespoon of fish sauce

2 teaspoons of pahok/padek ( I prefer the liquid kind for this particular salad)

1/2 teaspoon of sugar

1/4 tsp of msg

1/2 teaspoon of dried chili flakes (or to taste)

2 Thai chili peppers finely chopped (or to taste)

1/4 cup of sticky rice/glutinous rice

You will also need:

extra virgin olive oil

a couple of Tablespoons of water

Garnishes:

sliced cucumbers

sliced jalapenos

romain lettuce

bean sprouts




INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Start off by dry roasting your sticky rice in a skillet on medium low heat. Stir the rice often, so that it browns evenly. This process should take about 10-15 minutes. Once done, place toasted rice in a mini blender or bullet, and process until ground. Set aside.

2. Take your ground chicken, and give it a little chop on your cutting board. This part is optional. I don't like huge chunks of chicken in my salad. :)

3. With your skillet on medium high heat, drizzle in some olive oil. Add in your ground chicken, a few Tablespoons of water, and cook until no longer pink, or completely cooked through.

4. Drain your chicken in a colander and place it back into the same skillet. (Make sure you've turned off your stove)

5. Add in your galangal, lemongrass, dried chili flakes, fish sauce, msg, and sugar. Mix well.

6. Transfer your chicken into a large mixing bowl, and add in your fresh herbs, limes, fresh chili, pahok, and mix well. Taste check for seasoning. Add your toasted rice powder (to taste) last. Toss again, and serve immediately.