Kimchi ramen from thewoksoflife.com/

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 5 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup cabbage kimchi, chopped
  • ¼ cup kimchi juice
  • 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 teaspoons Korean red pepper powder (gochugaru)
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 package instant noodles
  • 1 scallion, julienned

In a medium pot, add the vegetable oil and the mushrooms. Stir-fry for 3 minutes.

Add the kimchi and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.

Add the kimchi juice, stock, korean red pepper powder, sugar, and sesame oil. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, open up your package of instant noodles. Discard the flavor packet, and boil the noodles according to the package instructions.

Transfer the cooked noodles to a bowl. Pour your broth over the noodles, and serve with scallions on top!

Note: If you prefer, you can also boil the noodles directly in the pot of broth!

Lentil Salad with Arugula and Grapes

Lentil Salad with Arugula and Grapes
  • 1 cup French lentils (washed, picked through)
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
VinaigretteI:
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 scallions (thinly sliced on bias)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
to assemble
  • 1 container baby arugula (5-ounce box)
  • 2 cups red grapes (halved)
  • Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  • In a medium saucepan add the lentils and stock, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Par-boil the lentils and simmer about 15-20 minutes. Remove lentils from the saucepan and spread them onto a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil, and bake in the oven for another 10 minutes until crispy but tender.
  • Remove to a bowl and allow to cool until slightly warmer than room temperature.
  • Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl add the red wine vinegar and olive oil and whisk to combine. Add scallions, season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Drizzle over the lentils and toss to combine.
  • Add the arugula and grapes and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
  • Tip: Par-boiling is the perfect way to prep lentils a day in advance. When ready to serve, crisp the lentils in the oven and serve.

Shrimp and grits from www.saveur.com/

1 cup white or yellow stone-ground grits
34 cup grated cheddar
14 cup parmesan
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Kosher salt
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 lb. medium shrimp (about 30), peeled
Freshly ground black pepper
6 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
12 cup broth
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, plus 4 lemon wedges
12 tsp. hot sauce, preferably Tabasco
4 scallions, thinly sliced
In a 2-qt. saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and whisk in grits. Cook, whisking frequently, until grits are tender and creamy, 30–40 minutes. (Whisk in more water for thinner grits.) Whisk in cheddar, parmesan, and 1 tbsp. butter and season with salt; cover and set aside.
Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium heat.
Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Over medium-high heat, add shrimp to skillet and cook, turning once, until bright pink, about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a plate with a slotted spoon. Lower heat to medium; add mushrooms to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until golden, 1 minute. Raise heat to high, add chicken broth, and scrape bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon. Cook until broth reduces by half, 3 minutes. Return shrimp to skillet along with the lemon juice, remaining butter, and hot sauce and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Divide grits between 4 bowls; top each with shrimp and its sauce. Garnish each bowl with bacon, scallions, and lemon wedges.

10-minute tomato egg drop noodle soup from thewoksoflife.com/

  • 1 serving of the noodle of your choice
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 scallion, chopped (white and green portions separated)
  • 2-3 small tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces ( or 12oz can of tomatoes cut up)
  • 2 ½ cups vegetable, or mushroom stock
  • 1-1.5  teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 tsp. sambal obleek

Boil a pot of water to cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and transfer to a large soup bowl. Toss with a few drops of oil to keep the noodles from sticking to each other.

At the same time , heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in wok or pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and the scallion whites, and cook for 30 seconds. Then add the tomatoes and stir-fry for a couple minutes, until the oil starts to turn red and the tomatoes soften.

Add the stock, soy sauce, white pepper, sesame oil, sambal oblek and salt to taste. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes, still using medium heat. Now is a good time to beat the egg in a small bowl and have it ready.

Uncover the wok/pot, turn up the heat slightly, and slowly stir in the beaten egg. Turn off the heat and pour the soup onto the cooked noodles. Top with the chopped scallion greens (you can also add chopped cilantro if you want). Serve. Easy, right?!

 

Kimchi Potato Salad

hero-v_kimchi-potatosalad_99871 pound Yukon potatoes, peeled
5 eggs

For potato salad dressing:
1 16-ounce jar of cabbage kimchi, chopped with juice
2 tablespoons gochujang Korean chili paste
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon soy sauce
¼ cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
2 teaspoons garlic, chopped
1 cup scallions, sliced, white and light-green parts only
Black pepper, freshly ground & Kosher salt
For garnish:
Scallions, sliced, green parts
Black sesame seeds

  • Fill large sauce pot ⅔ full with cold water and heavily salted. Put whole Yukon potatoes into the sauce pot. Put sauce pot on the stovetop over high heat and bring to a boil.
  • When the water is boiling, carefully add in 3 eggs to the sauce pot.
  • Reduce heat to medium and simmer the eggs with potatoes for 12 minutes. Using kitchen tongs, take out the eggs and put them into iced or cold water. Let the eggs sit for 15 minutes in cold water. Continue cooking potatoes in gently boiling water for about 15 more minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Take the potatoes off the heat and use a colander to drain the potatoes. Put them on a baking sheet and refrigerate for about 1 hour or until potatoes are cold.
  • For the dressing, combine all the ingredients together and set aside.
  • Remove the skin from the potatoes or leave them on for a more rustic potato salad. Gently cube potatoes and put into a large mixing bowl.
  • Peel the hard-boiled eggs, chop, and add to the cubed potatoes.
  • Add the dressing into the potato mixture. Gently mix all the ingredients together until evenly coated. Season with freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt to taste.
  • Garnish with sliced scallions and black sesame seeds.
  • Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

 

stir-fried eggplant, potatoes & peppers from thewoksoflife.com/

  • 3 cldi-san-xian-8oves garlic, smashed and peeled
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 long Chinese eggplants, cut on an angle into large bite-sized pieces
  • 1 large potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut on an angle into large bite-sized pieces
  • ½ red bell pepper, cut into large bite-sized pieces
  • ½ orange bell pepper, cut into large bite-sized pieces
  • 4 tablespoons oil
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon white pepper
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • Salt, to taste

First let’s prepare the following: smash and peel the garlic, chop the scallions, and mix the cornstarch with the water in a small bowl. Set everything aside.

Now we’re ready to cook. Heat the oil in your wok over medium heat. Add the potato, and brown lightly for about 8 minutes until cooked through. Stir occasionally to avoid burning them.

General Tso’s sauce from purewow.com

purewow_general_tsos_12 teaspoons sesame oil
6 scallions, white part finely sliced, green part chopped into 1-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
5 small dried chiles (optional)
¼ cup vegetable broth
¼ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

In a medium pot, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the finely-chopped white scallions, garlic, ginger and chiles, and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar and mirin, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and cornstarch to combine. Pour about ¼ cup of the hot sauce over the mixture, whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth and lump free. Return the mixture to the pot and bring to a simmer. Stir in the large pieces of green scallion.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and has good flavor, 7 to 9 minutes more.

Shanghai-Style Poached Salmon from splendidtable.org

Shanghai_Poached_Salmon_rev

  • 4 salmon fillets, about 6 oz [170 g] each, skin and pin bones removed

Sweet Vinegar Sauce

  • 1/2 cup [120 ml] soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup [60 ml] distilled white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup [50 g] sugar
  • 4 green onions, including green tops, cut into 1-in [2.5-cm] lengths
  • 4 thin slices fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
  • 3 cups [720 ml] water
  • 3 green onions, including green tops, cut into 1-in [2.5-cm] lengths
  • 5 thin slices fresh ginger, peeled

1. Remove the salmon from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature.

2. To Make the Sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the 4 green onions and julienned ginger. Set aside.

3. In a sauté pan just large enough to hold the salmon fillets in a single layer, combine the water, 3 green onions, and sliced ginger. Bring to a boil over medium heat, turn the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully slip the salmon into the pan. (The salmon should be completely submerged in the poaching liquid. If it isn’t, add a bit more water.) Cover the pan and poach the salmon for 5 minutes.

4. Again using the spatula, lift the salmon to a plate. Carefully drain off almost all the poaching liquid from the pan, leaving only 1/4 cup [60 ml] in the pan. Remove and discard the green onions and ginger from the pan. Return the pan to medium-low heat and add the vinegar sauce. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Slip the salmon back into the pan and baste with the sauce. Continue to braise the salmon, basting frequently, until almost opaque throughout, or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 125°F  [52°C] or a little above, about 8 minutes. The sauce will have reduced and thickened a little.

5. Transfer the salmon to warmed dinner plates or shallow pasta bowls. Spoon the sauce around the fillets, dividing it evenly. Serve immediately.

 

Soba Noodle Salad from washingtonpost.com

soba

The chef prefers using regular soy sauce instead of low-sodium (for better flavor).

The dressing can be refrigerated a few days in advance.

For the dressing
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon plain rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili oil
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and grated (1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons water

For the salad
6 to 8 ounces buckwheat soba noodles
1 or 2 heads romaine lettuce hearts, torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup shelled, frozen/defrosted edamame
6 to 8 scallions (trimmed), white and light-green parts cut thin on the diagonal
20 grape tomatoes, each cut in half
White sesame seeds, for garnish
Nori (roasted seaweed), cut into very thin matchsticks, for garnish

For the dressing: Whisk together the sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, chili oil, peanut butter, ginger and water in a medium bowl, to form a shiny, emulsified blend.

For the salad: Bring a pot of unsalted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the soba noodles (to taste) and stir; cook according to the package directions, then drain, rinse until cool and drain again.

Divide the lettuce (to taste) among individual plates. Top each portion with an equal amount of the cooled noodles, then scatter each one with some of the edamame, scallions and grape tomatoes.

Just before serving, spoon a generous amount of the dressing over each salad, then top each with a good pinch of the sesame seeds and the nori. Serve right away.  4 servings

Teriyaki sauce from http://thewoksoflife.com/

mall-chicken-teriyaki-82 tablespoons mirin
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons oil
steamed rice, to serve

Add the protein to a bowl, along with the mirin, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Mix together until all the ingredients are well combined. Allow to marinate for 2 hours.

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Transfer the protein to the pan in one layer (reserving the marinade), and allow it to sear on one side for 1 minute. Then start stir-frying for another minute.

Add the reserved marinade to the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer to reduce the sauce until it thickens and coats the chicken. Serve over rice!