Because of the heat wave, I’ve been making these cold soba noodles practically every other meal. It is similar to my Sesame and peanut sauce noodles, but it is a lighter and more refreshing version of it with soba! The recipe features Meyer lemons, which we’ve gotten from my sister-in-law’s front yard in her gorgeous sf home.
Ingredients
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 Meyer lemon juiced (or use 2)
2 tablespoons of water
2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon of sugar
More water for adjusting to the consistency you like
1 bunch of green onions
2 bunches of soba noodles
Tips
Substitute Meyer lemons with rice vinegar, lime juice, or regular lemons. But it won’t taste as good. 😛
Instructions
Mix peanut butter, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of water, soy sauce, sugar together in a bowl until ingredients completely incorporated.
Add more water if you prefer a lighter sauce.
Chop the green onions.
Make the soba noodles according to the package. Rinse with cold water after cooking to prevent stickiness and to cool the noodles.
Place the cooked, cooled soba noodles in a bowl and drizzle the sauce on top.
Cumin lamb is the best thing ever. (If you like lamb, and spicy stuff, and being punched by umami flavor. ) I guess I’ll admit that this dish is not as easy as it seems and took me many tries to perfect. Once I mastered the art of making cumin lamb, it became the dinner that my picky picky husband always requests!
Ingredients
1 lb of lamb, sliced (leg or shoulder work fine)
1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
3 pinches of salt
2 pinches of sugar
1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon of cornstarch
1 tablespoon of shaoxing rice wine
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 or 2 jalapeno (depending on how spicy you like your lamb)
1 small yellow onion, julienned (larger chunks are okay)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, sliced into 1/2 centimeters
1 stalk of green onion, chopped into 2 inch stalks, with green and white parts separated
2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of whole cumin seeds (optional)
Vegetable oil s needed
Tips
Does it have to be shaoxing rice wine? Probably not, but it really does bring out the taste that other types of rice wine doesn’t.
When cooking the lamb first, make sure it’s cooked to the point that it’s dry and charring. You don’t want it to be saucy.
You can substitute crushed red pepper flakes with gochugaru.
To adjust the taste at the end, use salt to help balance out the spice if too spicy. Use cumin to add more flavor if it just tastes like soy sauce. Use more crushed red pepper flakes if it’s not spicy enough.
Instructions
Combine lamb, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, dark soy sauce, cornstarch and shaoxing rice wine. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, but the longer the better.
Heat up vegetable oil in a wok or pan.
Place the lamb into the wok or pan and stir fry for about 10 minutes, or however long it takes for the moisture to dry out and for the lamb to start charring. Set aside when finished.
In the same wok or pan, add the onion, garlic, ginger, the white parts of the green onion, the crushed red pepper flakes, and the whole cumin seeds and stir fry until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Add the jalapenos and stir fry for another 2 minutes.
Add the cooked lamb back into the wok or pan along with the 1 tablespoon of ground cumin and the green parts of the green onion. Stir fry for another 2-3 minutes.
Taste the lamb and adjust based on your liking.
Ready to serve!
Serve white or brown rice, vegetables, or other family favorites.
I’m always missing Hawaii, and I make loco moco to ease the the urge to go there constantly. To me, it’s just a great way to have a burger without having to make sure you have bread and tomatoes and lettuce and that stuff at home. But I guess it does still mean you need to have all of the ingredients for a loco moco at home, which I am more likely to have than not.
Ingredients (makes 4 patties)
1 lb of ground beef (wagyu ground beef makes all the difference)
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
1/3 small yellow onion, minced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 egg
1/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs (optional)
2 tablespoons of heavy cream (optional)
1 cup of beef broth
1/2 cup of water
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of flour
1 teaspoon of worcestershire sauce or steak sauce
1 teaspoon of ketchup
1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce
salt and sugar to taste
white or brown rice
2 eggs (or 4 eggs if you’re making 4 bowls with 1 patty each; each bowl should have an egg)
Vegetable oil as needed
Tips
Marinate the patties at least 1 hour ahead of time.
You can add onions and mushrooms to the gravy if desired.
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, salt, pepper, soy sauce, yellow onion, garlic, 1 egg, panko breadcrumbs and heavy cream.
Mix well with your hands (it’s just the easiest way to mix)
Form the mixture into 4 patties and set aside for at least 1 hour. The patties should be about 3/4 inch thick.
Coat a cast iron with a thin layer of vegetable oil.
Place the patties into the cast iron and fry each side for 4-6 minutes each side, longer if your patties are thicker. Leave them in your cast iron once done until you’re ready to serve.
Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, melt the butter and add the flour. Stir until fully combined.
Add the beef broth and water and bring to a light boil/simmer.
Add the worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and soy sauce. Cook for about 2 minutes.
Give the gravy a taste and adjust the taste to your liking with salt and sugar. Leave the gravy in your sauce pan until you’re ready to serve.
In another non-stick pan, heat up some vegetable oil and fry your eggs. I like to have them over-easy or over-medium but you can certainly do sunny-side up too.
Once your patties, gravy and eggs are done, you can begin plating.
Place 1 cup of rice in each bowl.
Place the patty on top of the rice and the egg on top of the patty.
I’ve been getting the not-so-subtle hint from NYT Cooking and other publications that a mediterranean diet seems to be the way to go if you want a healthy long life. And salmon seems to be the star protein that appears in many mediterranean recipes. But salmon is healthy whether it’s in a mediterranean recipe or not. This is my recent favorite way of making salmon; it combines the clever Asian way of marinating fish with the refreshing Californian way of serving salmon with a generous variety of textures.
Ingredients (makes 2 bowls)
12 oz of salmon (skin on or skin off)
2 pinches of salt
1 pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon of soy sauce (you can use the special kind of soy sauce for fish that my mother swears by: 蒸鱼豉油)
1 teaspoon of cornstarch (optional)
2 teaspoons of rice wine
brown or white rice
1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 stalk of green onions
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
1/4 cucumber, sliced
1/2 carrot, julienned
1 cup of shredded cabbage
1 avocado, sliced
1 tablespoon of kewpie mayo (or regular mayo)
1 teaspoon of sriracha
Tips
I like to do this bowl with fried rice instead of plain. The extra effort goes a long way in giving the dish a lot of flavor. But it works fine with plain rice.
The cucumber, carrot, cabbage and avocado are all toppings. You can customize this however you like. I find that the bowl tastes great with just cabbage and avocado as well.
Instructions
Cut the salmon into cubes.
Marinate the salmon with salt, sugar, soy sauce, cornstarch and rice wine for at least 30 minutes.
Heat up oil in a non-stick pan and scramble the eggs.
Add the rice, soy sauce and green onions and stir fry it. Once done, divide the rice into two large bowls and set aside.
Place the marinated salmon cubes into the non-stick pan and cook 3 minutes each side. If you like your salmon to be tender, I suggest not cooking it for more than 6 minutes. But if you want your salmon to be more well done, you can cook it up to 10 minutes. Once done, turn off the stove.
Assemble the bowls by placing the toppings (cucumber, carrot, cabbage and avocado) into the bowls.
Add the salmon and top it with the kewpie and sriracha.
This is what I consider one of my highest Return-On-Investment dishes. It’s minimal effort and maximum enjoyment basically. Not to mention, this recipe utilizes a very inexpensive cut of the beef, making it a bargain even cost-wise. What is it? Beef ribs!
Ingredients
4 beef back ribs (Costco)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of black pepper
4 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes
4 teaspoons of oregano
4 teaspoons of thyme
4 teaspoons of paprika
4 teaspoons of dried basil
Tips
The amount of herbs can be adjusted based on personal preference. You can also use an Italian herb blend if you have that on hand. Just make sure to season each rib generously.
I buy the beef back ribs from Costco, but you should be able to find these ribs at any local butcher.
The most important trick in this recipe is ensuring that the ribs are wrapped airtight, otherwise they do get dry.
The herbs above are divided across the four ribs (both sides).
If you have fresh herbs, they’re even better for this recipe!
Directions
Preheat the oven to 285 degrees F.
Lay down a large sheet of foil, enough to cover one rib entirely.
Pour the olive oil in a small bowl or plate.
Place one rib in the center of the foil.
Using a brush, coat both sides of the rib with olive oil.
Season the bone side of the rib with salt and pepper.
Flip the bone over and season with salt, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme, paprika and dried basil.
Wrap the rib entirely with foil. It doesn’t need to be tight, but make sure it’s wrapped with no gaping holes.
Repeat this for each rib.
Place the ribs in any baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for up to 3-4 hours. If you like your meat with a bite, take it out after 3 hours. If you like it fall-off-the-bone, take it out after 4 hours.
Ready to serve!
Serve with bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, or vegetables.
I’ve been really into fish lately, and I definitely have a thing for whole fish. This recipe is simply, tasty, and basically requires no prep!
Ingredients
1 whole tilapia (or 2 if you’re really hungry)
1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoon of crushed pepper flakes
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning (If you don’t have this, you can substitute with oregano, thyme, and dried basil)
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of dried dill
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon/lime juice
water as needed
Tips
The amount of seasoning for each spice can be adjusted according to your taste. For example, if you love spicy food, feel free to add more crushed red peppers.
The rule of thumb is try to cover the whole fish with spices. This helps create a “crust” that will prevent the fish from sticking.
Directions
Pat dry the fish and put it in a plate.
Drizzle half of the olive oil on the fish and flip the fish once or twice to ensure the whole fish is covered.
Sprinkle both sides with salt, crushed pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, paprika and dried dill.
Pour half of the lemon/lime juice into the crevice of the fish
Heat up the rest of the olive oil in a pan.
Carefully place the whole fish into the pan and cook on medium fire for 2-3 minutes.
Flip the fish.
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and the rest of the lemon/lime juice into the pan.
Cover the pan with the lid and cook for about 10 minutes, depending on how big your fish is.
Uncover the lid and sprinkle on additional spices to bring out the flavor a little bit.
There are very few dishes I love more than fish. My grandpa used to call me “mao-mei-zi.” I started eating whole fish since I was 5 years old. My family was impressed with my ability to separate the fish from the bone at such a young age. This is a recipe I use most frequently these days.
Ingredients
1 whole fish (about 1-1.5lbs)
1 inch ginger, julienned (separated)
1 big stalk of green onions, minced or chopped
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
3 tablespoons of rice wine
1 tablespoon of sesame oil (separated)
2 tablespoons of canola oil
Water for steaming
Salt
Tips
Make sure you have a big enough wok/pot to fit the fish in
Adjust the soy sauce and salt based on your liking
Directions
Wash the fish and pat dry.
Sprinkle the fish with salt on both sides.
Put some of the julienned ginger in the cavity of the fish, and the rest of the ginger on top of the fish.
Prepare your steamer; boil water in your pot.
Once water is boiled, place the whole fish on a steamer into the pot and steam for 10-12 minutes depending on the size of the fish.
In a separate bowl, pour in soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil, and rice wine.
Heat up the canola oil and the rest of the sesame oil in another separate pan.
When your fish is done steaming, take it out of the steaming pot.
Pour the soy sauce mixture over/around the fish.
Place the green onions on top of the fish.
Now the best part!!!! Pour the sizzling canola oil mixture over the ginger and green onions on top of the fish. Enjoy that heavenly smell.
I decided to try a new recipe today for spare ribs! Because I was just craving some Asian (specifically Korean) food, I thought to incorporate Gojujang into this recipe. Hope y’all like it as much as I did!
Ingredients
1 rack of pork spare ribs
1 teaspoon of Gojugaru (Korean chili pepper flakes)
1 teaspoon of ginger powder
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of Gojujang
1 teaspoon of brown sugar
Green onions chopped (for garnish)
Tips:
Taking the membrane off the ribs before baking makes the ribs more tender!
How to serve:
The dish goes great with white Jasmine rice.
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees.
Cut the ribs into individual bones and place them in a baking pan.
Add the first 6 spices and brown sugar into baking pan with the ribs and toss evenly.
Cover the baking pan with foil.
Bake meat side up for 3 hours.
Take out the ribs and brush the Gojujang on top of the ribs.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 more minutes.
I’ve been craving this dish because I’ve been feeling a little homesick. Hunan (my home city) is a place of spice and flavor and it is also adjacent to Sichuan, which is where this fire-y dish originated from!
Ingredients:
3-4 filets of Basa Swai (you can get these at any Asian market!)
Salt
2 tablespoons of rice wine
1 teaspoon of cornstarch
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 stalk of green onions, chopped
1 inch of ginger, minced
2.5 tablespoons of doubanjang (spicy fermented bean paste), separated into 2 and 1/2 tablespoons
3 tablespoons of canola oil (you’ll use this separately as well)
2 Chinese eggplants, chopped into 1-2 inch cubes
1 tablespoons of Sichuan peppercorns, grounded
5-6 dried chili peppers
About 2 cups of water
Cilantro for garnish (optional)
Tips:
You can use any vegetables that you like, including Napa cabbage, sprouts, mushrooms, etc. I would just limit to 2 types of veggies at the most.
The spicy level can be adjusted by adding more or less Sichuan peppercorns and dried chili peppers and water.
I don’t serve the dish with the Sichuan peppercorns, but you definitely can if you like the mala flavor!
How to serve:
This dish goes best with white rice!
Directions:
Cut the filets at an angle to make sure each piece is about 2 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick.
Put the filets, a pinch of salt and cornstarch in a bowl and mix well. Marinate for about 30 minutes or overnight.
In a pan, heat up 1 tablespoon of canola oil and put in some of the Sichuan peppercorns and the dried chili peppers. Stir-fry until fragrant. Take out the peppercorns and peppers and leave the oil. (You don’t need to get all of it out).
In the same pan with the oil that is left, place your vegetables of choice into the pan and stir-fry until soft and cooked. Place the vegetables into the serving bowl.
In the same pan, heat up another tablespoon of canola oil and put in the garlic, ginger and green onions. Stir-fry until fragrant.
Put in the 2 tablespoons of doubanjang and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
Pour in about 1 cup of water and bring the mixture to a boil.
Gently put your fish slices into the water, put the lid back onto the pan, and bring the mixture to a boil.
The minute it boils, turn off the heat! (This ensures that you don’t overcook the fish)
Pour the mixture on top of the vegetables in the serving bowl.
Place the dried chili peppers and peppercorns that you had set aside on top of the dish.
Optional: heat up another tablespoon of oil and pour it on top of the dried chili peppers and peppercorns for a nice sizzle!
My mother taught me how to make this a long time ago. I remember being very mesmerized as she did each step to accomplish this dish, thinking that all I ever wanted to do was to cook and eat. 😛
Ingredients:
Any kind of noodles (about 3 small bunches)
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons of white sugar
1/4 cup of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of dried crushed red peppers
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1 stalk of green onions, chopped and separated into white and green parts
3 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
3 more cloves of garlic, sliced
1/2 cucumber, shredded (optional)
1 spicy sausage, chopped (optional)
How to serve:
I added two sides to this meal, the cucumber and sausage, but the noodles taste great on their own without embellishments!
Directions:
Chop and shred your optional toppings first and set them aside.
Bake the sausage in an oven for 15 minutes on 350 degrees and set aside.
Slice the 3 cloves of garlic and mince the other three cloves of garlic.
In a bowl, mix peanut butter, sugar, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, crushed red peppers together and mix well until mixture is creamy and integrated together.
Heat up sesame oil in a shallow pan on medium heat; add in the white parts of the green onions. Stir fry until fragrant.
Add in all of the mixture from your bowl and stir fry on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Boil water and cook your noodles.
In a bowl, put the cooked noodles in first. Add the sauce and the green parts of the green onions and use tongs to mix well. Top the bowl with the shredded cucumber.
Place the baked sausage in a plate with the sliced garlic.
