Category: Bowl Food Soul Food
Cincinnati Chili Udon Want to Pass Up

Cincinnati Chili Udon Want to Pass Up

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I don’t hide my political views very well…and I don’t try to.  You googled a recipe and my blog popped up (probably Mochi Muffins, lol) and here you are.  My blog is mostly about food, a little about travel, and the occasional musing on sports, my family, and politics.

Try Not to Skip to the Good Part

Well, you can skip to the recipe with the button above, or take a couple of minutes to read the next paragraph to get to know me and what I believe in.  If you supported he who shall not be named, skip to the recipe.  America just elected a narcissistic, unqualified, amoral, grifter as president of our country, for the second time.  An anti-woke platform that, when you think about it, says, if you don’t look like me, live your life like me, you can’t have a seat at the table because it is only for folks like me.  I am incredulous, depressed, and angry.  Enabled by a cast of bad players, sycophants, and opportunists who care only about power and money, he rides into office intent on destroying democracy.  Once again my hopes of an eminently qualified, lifelong public servant, compassionate WOMAN president were crushed.  We had 3 months of joy, sanity, normalcy, million-dollar smiles, and hope with her and Gov Walz’s campaign.  Now we can only dream of what might have been.

What’s Your Self-Care?

I confess, I go to Cookbook signings, like Kristina’s in Brooklyn!

And I go to cookbook author signings, like Kristina's in Brooklyn!

So, as I think about my next steps as part of the resistance, I turn to doing things that make me feel better and relieve stress.  What do you do? Crafts? Ceramics? Sports? Blog? (lol) I row and play tennis, which helps me keep sane.  And of course, I cook and bake.  Times like now I turn to childhood favorites and dishes that are warm and homey, comfort food to get me through.

Kristina Cho, author of Mooncakes and Milk Bread, and Chinese Enough (highly recommend both her books), posted a recipe for Cincinnati Chili Udon.  I imagine as a native of Cincinnati, Skyline (Cincinnati) Chili is the very definition of comfort food for her.  Her’s has the warm, tart -sweet flavors of Cincinnati Chili from cinnamon and vinegar but then she adds Harissa for spiciness and finishes with soy sauce for an Asian twist.  She serves the chili over Japanese udon noodles topped with an egg yolk and cheese.   It’s delicious.

Prep Time < Cook Time

The chili takes 90 minutes to cook but most of that time is spent simmering on the stove.  While it simmers, kick your feet up, eat bonbons, anything that makes you feel better.  You deserve it.

Get your seasonings together.  I used TJ’s Harissa paste instead of powder.  Dice onions and mince garlic and saute until lightly brown. Add ground beef and cook until the meat loses its pink color.  Use ground beef that is 15 -20 percent fat, a happy medium for flavor and moisture.  Add your seasonings and water and simmer.  The sauce is ready when it has reduced by about half.  It will look thick and rich and smell incredible.

Top with cheese and the “takes it to another level” egg yolk.  Garnish with green onions and serve immediately.  Mix the egg yolk into the sauce and noodles to give it a silky creamy finish.

It’s delicious served over udon noodles but I think it would be equally yummy over a bowl of rice or as a topping for roasted sweet potatoes.  The chili reminded me of the Afghani dish, Kadoo, cooked pumpkin topped with a meat sauce and yogurt.  Kristina’s Cincinnati Chili with its warm Mediterranean spices would be a perfect stand-in for the meat sauce as would sweet potato for pumpkin.  I’m currently obsessed with Japanese sweet potatoes-indescribably delicious.

So make this chili, throw it over whatever you like, curl up on your sofa, and watch a classic Rom-Com, or maybe a silly, mushy Hallmark holiday movie.  Rest up, the resistance begins tomorrow.

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Cincinnati Chili Udon

A delicious riff on Cincinatti Chili (Skyline Chili) from Kristina Cho
Course dinner, lunch
Cuisine American, Asian-American
Keyword chili, Cincinnati chili
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion minced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 lb ground beef 80/20 fat
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Seasonings

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp coarse salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp harissa powder substitute harissa paste 1:1
  • 3/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 2 bay leaves

Finished Dish

  • 4 bundles of frozen udon
  • 4 egg yolks
  • Cheddar cheese shredded
  • Green onions thinly sliced, for topping

Instructions

  • In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cook while stirring occasionally until starting to brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Add the beef and break up the meat into smaller clumps with the edge of a spatula. Continue to cook until the meat is no longer pink, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Add the water, apple cider vinegar, and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Add salt, cinnamon, black pepper, harissa, cumin, cloves, sugar, and bay leaves. Stir to blend.
  • Reduce the heat to medium low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover with lid but leave a gap for steam and allow the chili to simmer until thickened and reduced by about half, stirring occasionally, 60 to 90 minutes. Allow the chili to cook for a few minutes before serving.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the udon to warm through (frozen udon is already cooked). Strain the water and divide the noodles between bowls.
  • Top the noodles with chili and add an egg yolk to the center. Sprinkle on cheese and green onions. Toss the noodles to mix the cheese and egg yolk with the chili.

Notes

Serves 4
Easy Peasy Curry Chicken

Easy Peasy Curry Chicken

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One of my favorite “cheats” are the Japanese curry blocks found in most Asian markets.  These little blocks contain the spices and flavorings plus a thickener to make a Japanese-style curry.  It’s an easy weeknight meal that comes together in 20-60 minutes depending on your protein.  These curry blocks are so good you’ll find them in cookbook recipes and most Japanese restaurants, yep.  They add their little tweaks but really, you don’t have to add anything, just follow the instructions on the box, and boom, with minimal work and time, your family will be sitting down to a warm, comforting bowl of curry and rice.

So, Why a Recipe?

Well, someone’s gotta tell you these curry blocks are out there!  There are quite a few brands out there and many come in varying degrees of spiciness, mild, hot… Serious Easts does a deep dive on the different brands, here it is Deep Dive Curry.  Experiment and find the one you like best.  My kids make curry all the time.  That’s how easy it is.

Variations on a Curry

Needless to say, tweak this recipe as you wish.  I often make this with pork.  Ivan Orkin of Ivan Ramen fame has a recipe for a delicious Pork Curry.  Calls for braising chunks of pork in a broth and then adding the curry blocks.  He finishes his curry with honey and milk. To cut the cooking time, use an instant pot to cook the pork.  Instead of 2 hours on the stove, 30-40 minutes in the instant pot should do it.

Add more veggies!  I throw in an additional 2 cups of veggies into my curry. Don’t worry about the curry sauce, there will be plenty.  Cauliflower and bell peppers come to mind first, then squash like zucchini or kaboucha would be yummy.

Looking for a Thai Curry?  The Thai equivalent to Japanese curry blocks are curry pastes in little tubs.  My favorite brand is Mae Ploy, and it comes in an array- red, green, Massaman.  A previous post on curry pastes and a recipe for a flavorful Thai curry made in an Instant Pot is one of my favorites.

So, go get yourself some curry blocks or curry pastes, make your curry,  cook one big pot rice, and spoon it into your favorite bowl.  Eat while curled up on your sofa watching your favorite Hallmark Christmas Movie (yes they are already out), or K-drama (Goblin or My Dearest), or C-drama (Double or Princess Royale).  This is part of your self-care, after all, we could all use some comfort right now.

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Curry Chicken

Curry Chicken, a one pot meal, perfect for the cooler weather. Japanese Curry blocks make this a snap to make.
Course dinner
Cuisine Asian
Keyword 3jamigos.com, Chicken, chicken curry, curry, easy recipe, japanese curry, one pot meal
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs ~2 lb or 6-7 pieces
  • ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 slices ginger
  • 2 small yellow onions 1 lb, 454 g
  • 1-2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled 6.5 oz, 184 g
  • 3 carrots, peeled 4 oz, 113 g
  • ¼ cup green peas 1.3 oz, 36 g
  • 2 Tbsp neutral oil for cooking

Optional but highly recommended

  • 1-2 cups Your favorite veggies, there will be plenty of sauce to acommodate more veggies. Cut to similar size of other veggies bell peppers, cauliflower!!, squash, celery

Curry Sauce

  • ¼ cup sake
  • 2 cups chicken stock/broth or use vegetable stock low salt or 2.5 cups with 2 tsp chicken powder
  • ½ cup water add more if needed
  • ½ package Japanese curry roux 3.5–4.2 oz, 100–120 g; I like thwe OG S&B brand
  • 1 Tbsp mirin
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce

Instructions

Prep Ingredients

  • Prick skin of 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs or 3 whole legs split with the tip of your knife (so the flavors will penetrate the skin). Cut off the excess fat with a pair of scissors (or knife).
  • Season the chicken with ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides.
  • Cut onions into wedges. The wedge cut adds more texture; however, you can also thinly slice or dice.
  • Peel and cut  Yukon gold potato into 8 pieces.
  • Peel and cut carrots into bite-size pieces. Additional veggies can also be cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside the vegetables on a tray or plate.

Making the Curry

  • In a large pot (I use a Dutch oven), heat 1 Tbsp neutral oil on medium-high heat. When it’s hot, sear the chicken on the skin side first. Do not crowd the pan to avoid steaming the chicken and cook in batches if necessary.
  • Flip the chicken and cook the other side for 2 minutes and then transfer to a plate until the rest is done.
  • Add the onion to the pot and coat with the oil using a wooden spoon/spatula. If there is not enough oil, add ½–1 Tbsp more oil.
  • Add ginger slices and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender. If the burnt spots on the bottom of the pot need some scraping, you can add sake here (instead of the next step) to loosen them up.
  • Add the chicken back into the pot and add ¼ cup sake.
  • Add 2 cups chicken stock/broth and ½ cup water, or water plus chicken powder just enough to almost cover the chicken. If you use a larger pot, it may not cover, so please adjust the amount of stock/water. This is not a soupy curry, so we do not need much liquid.
  • Cover the lid and bring it to a simmer. When simmering, skim the scum and foam with a fine-mesh skimmer.
  • Cook covered on low heat for 40 minutes.
  • Add the carrots, potatoes, and any other veggies you like, make sure they are submerged in the cooking liquid. Options include bell peppers and cauliflower or squash
  • Cook covered until they are tender, about 15 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and dissolve ½ package Japanese curry roux, one cube at a time in a ladleful of hot broth. When the first cube is dissolved, release it to the broth and mix gently without breaking the tender vegetables. Repeat the process until you finish dissolving all the roux.
  • Add 1 Tbsp mirin and 1 Tbsp soy sauce. Mix all together and check the taste. You can add water to loosen the curry if it's too thick. Add 2 Tbsp water. Add more water, if necessary to control the consistency of the curry here. The sauce should be pretty thick though.
  • Add ¼ cup green peas and cook for another minute. Serve the curry with steamed rice.

Notes

Variations:  In place of chicken pork (shoulder or butt cut into bite-sized pieces) that has been simmered until fairly tender before making curry.
In place of mirin and soy sauce: 1-2 tablespoons honey and 1/4 cup milk (added at the end so it doesn't curdle)
Not Japanese but you could add 1/2 cup of coconut milk 
Jjim Dak (Korean Braised Chicken)

Jjim Dak (Korean Braised Chicken)

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Brrrrr… getting chilly out there.  While I love summer, I do look forward to winter.  As the temperature drops I start dreaming of dishes that warm the body and soul.  Soup bowls and spoons that have languished on the shelf all summer are now front and center, waiting to be filled.  Soups, rice bowls, stews, nabes,  dumplings, noodles, and casseroles are always in the winter rotation.  Comfort food with a capital C.

Some of my favorite casseroles or soups don’t require hours on the stove, this is one of them, Jjim Dak or Korean Braised Chicken.  Jjim Dak is a hearty chicken, vegetables, and glass noodle dish that comes together in an hour.  It’s flexible in terms of ingredients (which mean any veggie you have hiding in your crisper is fair game), and filling due to the addition of potatoes and glass noodles.  A TikTok video for this dish caught my attention so I headed to my favorite Korean recipe site, http://Koreanbapsang.com.  A quick search of her site and bada bing, bada boom…I found her recipe for Korean braised chicken.

Let’s get to it…Bowl Food is Soul Food

This is a very flexible recipe. The foundation is chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions, mushrooms and chili.  Braise the chicken in soy sauce, oyster sauce, a bit of sugar and mirin.  This is an easy one-pot meal that comes together quickly and is guaranteed to chase the chilly weather away.

Use chicken thighs or drumsticks, preferably bone-in and cut into large bite-size pieces.  You can use boneless but you run the risk of overcooking the chicken while braising the vegetables.  You can find cut bone-in pieces of chicken at most Asian markets.  If you cut it yourself make sure to rinse the chicken after chopping for bone fragments.

Veggie So Many Choices, So Little Time…Cause I’m Hungry

Traditionally, this dish has the usual suspects, carrots, potatoes, onions, and scallions.  Feel free to add whatever you like and it will be divine.  I added mushrooms, Korean radish, and Korean radish leaves (so excited when I saw the tops on the radishes at the market).  Hands down yummy.  So add whatever you like, including KALE (nooooo, can’t believe I wrote that).  Cut the veggies in smaller bites due to quick cooking time.  In fact, if using boneless chicken, I would dump everything in at once and not cook the chicken first.  Make it in advance, if you can, to let the flavors develop.

The glass noodles take this over the top.  They add texture, flavor (the noods suck up the flavor from the sauce, chicken and veggies-yummo) and substance to the dish. You can find mung bean noodles or glass noodles at most Asian stores.  Do not confuse it with rice noodles or vermicelli.  Pre-soak noods to soften, drain well before adding.

The sauce ingredients are readily available. Use  Korean soy sauce or Kikkoman which are a bit more similar to each other than Chinese soy sauces.  I could go down a rabbit about soy sauces…. Oyster Sauce, as always, my go-to is Lee Kum Kee with the lady and boy in the boat label.

Don’t forget the bap 🍚!

There you go, a delicious one-pot meal.

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Jjim Dak

Braised chicken with assorted veggies, perfect for dish for chilly nights
Course comfort food
Cuisine Korean
Prep Time 20 minutes

Equipment

  • Prep Time
  • 20minutes mins
  • Cook Time
  • 30minutes mins
  • Total Time
  • 50minutes mins

Ingredients

The Stars

  • 1 medium-sized chicken cut up (2.5 to 3 pounds of cut pieces)
  • 3 ounces sweet potato starch noodles dangmyeon, 당면
  • 2 medium white or yukon gold potatoes about 10 ounces
  • 1 medium carrot 1/4 inch slices on diagonal
  • 1/2 medium onion cut in half and sliced 1/4-inch thick
  • 3 - 4 mushroom caps rehydrated dried shiitake or fresh shiitake, white, or baby bellas
  • 2 scallions
  • 2 - 3 dried whole red chili peppers optional, mild use 1
  • 1 - 2 fresh chili peppers or jalapenos optional
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger

Braising Liquid

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce If unavailable, use more soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine or mirin
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar if unavailable, use regular sugar
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons corn syrup Korean jocheong (rice syrup), Oligodang (oligo syrup), or 2 to 3 tablespoons honey Adjust to taste or agave would probaly work
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Finishing

  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Soak the starch noodles in warm water for about 30 minutes while preparing the other ingredients. Drain well before using.
  • Clean chicken and cut into small to medium-sized pieces.
  • Cut the potatoes in chunks (about 1-1/2 inch), soak them in water while preparing the other vegetables. Cut the carrot (1/4-inch slices), mushrooms, and onion into bite-sized pieces.
  • Add the chicken pieces to a large pot. Pour 3 cups of water over the chicken. (You should reduce the amount of water if not using the noodles.) Add the sauce ingredients except sesame oil and seeds. Bring it to a boil over high heat, uncovered, and continue to boil for about 10 minutes. Skim off the foam.
  • Add the potatoes, carrot, mushrooms, onion, dried whole red chili peppers, garlic and ginger. Cover, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. There may still be a lot of liquid, but the potatoes and starch noodles will soak up a lot of it.
  • Stir in the green chili peppers (if using), and glass noodles. Continue to cook, uncovered this time, for an additional 3-5 minutes. Stir in the sesame oil. Garnish with sesame seeds, scallions. Serve immediately.
Scallion Mac and Cheese from Little Fat Boy

Scallion Mac and Cheese from Little Fat Boy

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I have been focused on cookbooks from the Asian Diaspora.  With the way the world is turning, on a definite lopsided tilt, I want to support my community.  Representation matters, and we need to see POCs, LGBTQ, you know, EVERYONE represented in all walks of life.  The gold standard should be human + compassion, empathy, and vision for a better, kinder, world.  A world you are proud to leave your kids.

Recently I dashed into the city for another book signing at Omnivore Books on Food.  Frankie Gaw, author of the long-awaited, First Generation:  Recipes from My Taiwanese-American Home was in town and I couldn’t pass on his book signing.

A graphic designer by trade, his evenings were spent creating the blog, Little Fat Boy.  Stories, beautiful photographs, and recipes, woven together in this mash-up of his Taiwanese roots, midwest upbringing, and Southern ties to Memphis. His recipes are fun, a fusion of his upbringing and later West Coast migration.  His recipes make me happy.  Yep, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Mochi or topped with Pepples cereal, tell me you’re not smiling right now.

It’s VEGAN, yeah baby…More, Please

I LOVE mac and cheese. Frankie’s Vegan version is a riff on this much-loved dish.  Is it Mac and Cheese? Nope.  Is it delicious? YEP.  In place of butter, milk, and cheese you’ll find scallion oil, cashews, garlic, and my own little tweak, nutritional yeast.  Pureeing cashews into a creamy, lovely sauce, is really so good, this may become my go-to mac and cheese when I am feeling a little lactose intolerant, lol.

Not gonna lie, cashews are not diet food, just like a lot of nuts.  The upside is they do supply protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.  Plus, no animal products were used in the making of this..so there is that.  To offset some of the calories in this dish I reduce the pasta and substitute roasted or steamed cauliflower florets.  Yummos.

I like my mac and cheese super saucy so I decrease the amount of pasta, add more cauliflower florets and throw in some mushroom broth to extend the sauce.  The kid in me likes the macaroni cooked beyond al dente, really who eats mac and cheese that’s not soft and squishy?  This is two very generous servings, actually, I think it serves 3-4 people…see the calories won’t be that bad!

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Scallion Mac and Cheese

A delicious vegan version of mac and cheese with loads of umami from scallions, nutritional yeast and garlic adapted from Little Fat Boy
Course dinner, one bowl meal, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword Crazy good mac and cheese, scallions
Prep Time 17 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 425kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 4 scallions finely chopped white and green parts divided
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 11/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1/8 tsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 lemon, juice of
  • 1/2-1 cup water, or pasta water or mushroom boullion
  • 1 tsp hot sauce to taste optional

Toppings

  • 1/4 cup panko
  • 1 scallion, Thinly sliced

Noods

  • 4 ounces macaroni
  • 1 cup cauliflower florets or broccoli approx 4 oz

Instructions

Cashews

  • Before making dish, place cashews in a medium bowl and cover with water by 1 inch. Let the nuts soak for 2-3 hours.

Carbs & Veggies

  • Cook your pasta as directed on package. With about 3-4 minutes to go, add the cauliflower to the pot. Return to boil and cook until al dente (from original recipe-lol. In my book mac cheese needs pasta cooked beyond al dente). Drain and place back in pot. Set aside.

Sauce

  • In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add scallions and garlic. The oil should not be smoking but hot enough that the aromatics sizzle when added. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes. The scallions should be soft and your kitchen should smell delicious from the scallions and garlic. Transfer all of it to a blender. Set skillet aside, do not wash! You will be using this to brown the Panko Crumbs!
  • Drain the cashews and add to the blender along with the lemon juice, paprika, salt, sugar, nutritional yeast, and water or pasta water.
  • BLEND til smooth. Add additional water or pasta water to desired consistency.
  • Add sauce to macaroni, and stir to combine. Pour into a casserole dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle Panko Crumbs and diced green onions on top, and serve immediately.

The Crumbs

  • The skillet used to fry the scallion and garlic will have residual oil to brown the Panko crumbs. On medium-high heat toss the panko in the skillet until toasty brown.

Notes

This recipe can be doubled for those times you are feeding a big crowd.  In fact,  the original recipe is double this, I cut it in half cause it's a lot of pasta.
Mille-Feuille Nabe Blooming Delish!

Mille-Feuille Nabe Blooming Delish!

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I’m sure I saw this on TikTok or an IG Reel.  It looked so delicious I knew I was going to make it, if not today, definitely tomorrow.  Jackpot, making it today, why?  As most of you know I stop at grocery stores so often I should be classified as a professional food shopper.  The beauty of being a “pro”, I generally have the ingredients for any dish found on the internet, lol. This is a perfect example, a quick perusal of my kitchen and I was in business.

Thinly sliced pork – check. From Asian Market. I always keep some in the freezer, ALWAYS.

Napa Cabbage – check. Picked up a head at the Hankook Market last weekend, cause you never know when you might need some cabbage…

Mushrooms – check. My fridge qualifies as a certified mushroom farm most days.

Dashi or Broth – check. I pulled my bottle of Shiro Dashi from the fridge. Literally concentrated dashi that you dilute with water, VERY good, stupid easy. For a detailed run down check out Guide to Shiro Dashi

OR I can make Dashi with packets from Japan that I keep squirreled away in my pantry.  Again, VERY good,  a bit more work than Shiro Dashi, still super easy.

I won’t go into making my own Dashi cause that would defeat the dinner in a few minutes mantra.

Korean radish – check.  You don’t need it, I just happen to have some so why not?

Staples – check.  Green onions, sesame seeds, soy sauce S&P…Hello? Would not be caught dead without any of these.

Pot- check. Y’all know I didn’t have to list this but I wanted to mention the tiny Donabe I bought at the MANRESA fire sale.  It gives me JOY.  I also used my gorgeous Staub pot for the family-sized version.

So that’s it, all you need to make this scrumptious, perfect when it is cold and wet outside, quick and easy dish.

Let’s Goooooo!

This is super easy, TRUST ME.  Have I ever steered you wrong?  Start with your Napa Cabbage, wash and separate the leaves.  You only need 1 head of cabbage and you won’t use all of it, unless you are feeding a cast of thousands, then you’re on your own.

Take out your thinly sliced pork, I’m sure this would work with beef also. Use any protein cut for Shabu Shabu or Hot Pot.  I know you are thinking, 🤔, can I use bacon?  My inclination is no, as much as I love bacon, the flavor may be too much and too salty for this Nabe.  But if you are feeling bold, try it.  Definitely REPORT BACK to me!

Layer the pork on the Napa Cabbage, covering most of the leaf. Continue layering until you have a stack of 3-4 leaves.  Cut crosswise into 3-4 sections, and try to match it up with your pot.  Each section should be about 2-2.5 inches in height. Definitely not taller as you will need to cover the pot when cooking.  Continue circling the pot with the sections until you reach the center.  I finished with slices of Korean radish surrounding a bouquet of mushrooms smack dab in the middle, totally optional.  But so good.

To finish, add dashi to barely cover the cabbage, cover, and cook.  Cook for 10-15 minutes, the beauty of thinly sliced meats and veggies.  Dinner is served! BACK to the dashi.  Dashi is a fish-based stock, used in many yummy Japanese dishes.  There are ka-zillions of ways to make dashi.  Skip the traditional and time-consuming options.  I use Shiro-dashi alot.  It is a seasoned concentrated fish stock that comes in a bottle.  Dilute Shiro-dashi 10-12 fold for soups and casseroles, EASY PEASY.  The other way is using dashi packets, kind of like tea bags.  Drop it into the water, let it sit to infuse the flavor from the packets, and presto dunzo.

CAVEAT: The Shiro Dashi is seasoned with salt and sugar while the dashi packets just impart the fish flavor.  You will need to add salt or soy if using the dashi packets.

That’s it!  Serve it up with bowls of hot, steaming rice, maybe fry an egg or if you have Mayak Eggs or Ramen Eggs yum. So damn delicious it is criminal.  Or use the flavorful broth on a lovely bowl of noodles, udon noodles would be delicious.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words…check out my Instagram for a reel on Mille-Feuille Nabe!

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Mille-Feuille Nabe

Japanese Hotpot with Napa Cabbage and thinly sliced pork belly arranged in layers in a donabe of casserole. Dashi serves as the cooking broth that turns this into a lovely dish perfect for cold weather.
Course dinner, Main Course, One dish meals
Cuisine Asian, Japanese
Keyword Mille-feuille, napa cabbage, Pork Belly, soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 donabe If you have one, but any casserole type pot will do.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

  • 1 napa cabbage medium size should do
  • 1-1½ lb Thinly sliced pork belly smaller the pot the less you will need
  • 1 bunch of mushrooms like enoki or shiimeji optional
  • Korean Radish or Daikon, thinly sliced optional

Dashi

  • 1 knob ginger 1 inch, 2.5 cm
  • 5 cups dashi See post for dashi options!
  • 2 Tbsp sake cut in half or omit if using Shiro Dashi
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce cut in half or omit if using Shiro Dashi
  • ½ tsp kosher salt Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt

Finishing Touches

  • green onions, diced for garnish
  • Chili oil or Shichim Togarashi at the table
  • Rice to serve with hot pot or boil some noodles to have with the flavorful broth!
  • Any kind of eggs-Ramen, Mayak or raw that you crack and cook in the broth

Instructions

  • Remove leaves carefully from the base, wash and drain well. Don’t throw away any leaves that naturally came off while rinsing. We’ll use these leaves later on. If you happen to get a ginormous cabbage cut in half or quarters lengthwise. I usually buy small ones so I use the whole leaf. Pat them dry before next step.
  • Layer the pork belly and napa cabbage by placing one slice between each of the leaves. Cover leaves with pork belly, trim if necessary to fit. Repeat 3-4 times depending on size of pot.
  • Cut each napa cabbage wedge into 3-4 pieces each about 2 to 2½ inches (5-6 cm) long. Each section should not be taller than your cooking pot. Try to keep the layers of napa cabbage and pork belly neatly stacked as you slice.
  • Next, start stacking the ingredients in a donabe, hot pot, or regular 10-inch pot. I used a shallow Staub pot with the grill top. Turn the stacks on their side as you pack them so the pink and green layers are visible. Start from the outer edges of the pot and work your way toward the center. Place the thicker cabbage leaves near the outside edge and the tender leaves in the center. Make sure that you pack the pot tightly as the layers will become loose once the ingredients start to cook.
  • If you don’t have enough layers to pack the pot tightly, consider using a smaller pot or place other ingredients in the center. I Like to stuff enoki mushrooms or shimeji mushrooms in the center. Or use slices of radish to surround the mushrooms.
  • Make you dashi. Don’t reduce the salt If you are using dashi from packets since the napa cabbage will release liquid during cooking and dilute the soup. If using Shiro Dashi that is seasoned omit half the soy sauce and sake. Taste your broth, it should not be too salty.
  • Pour the broth into the pot with the napa cabbage and pork belly. Start cooking on high heat. Once boiling, skim off the foam and fat on the surface using a fine-mesh skimmer. Then, reduce the heat to medium low and cook covered until the napa cabbage is tender and the pork belly is cooked through, roughly 8-10 minutes.

Garnish

  • Garnish with chopped green onion/scallion, have shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) on table or sprinkle on top of dish. Serve while hot with rice or boil up some noodles to serve in the delicious broth!
    I like adding a ramen egg or a Mayak egg t round it out.
Cold Noodles with Tomatoes (Tomato Triple Play)

Cold Noodles with Tomatoes (Tomato Triple Play)

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I have taken over tomato duties from the hubby who has given up on becoming an urban farmer.  We just haven’t had any luck with turning our garden into a summer veggie paradise.  My bounty from 5 tomato plants so far has been a grand total of 4 tiny red orbs 🤦🏻‍♀️

FORTUNATELY, we have a wonderful farmer’s market in town.

My haul from last week’s farmer’s market included a variety of cherry tomatoes including Bronze Torch Cherry Tomatoes (pictured on the right above) from Live Earth Farm in Watsonville. We have been buying Live Earth produce since my kids were toddlers and they’re in their twenties now!  The Bronze Torch Cherry Tomatoes are simply AH-MAZING.  Sweet, tomatoey, delicious.

Tomato Trifecta

I am a big fan of Eric Kim.  He writes regularly for New York Times Cooking and just published a wonderful cookbook, Korean American.  It is hands down one of my favorite books. His recipes are easy and delicious and his writing is even better.  You can also find him on YouTube making many of his recipes, he’s funny, personable, and charming.  I went to his book signing at Omnivore Books in SF, fun, I’m such a food groupie.

I love his Grape Tomato Quick Kimchi which I make all the time.  Serve as Banchan (side dish-pictured on the right above) one day and as a sauce over noods the next day.  It is downright delicious.  As soon as I saw his Cold Noodle with Tomatoes recipe I jotted it down on my MAKE ASAP list.  It is so easy and incredibly delicious.  It should go on your list too.

Start with cherry tomatoes, slice them in half, and sprinkle with salt.  Let the tomatoes sit in the bowl while you put together the rest of the dish.  No need to use a strainer as the juices from the salted tomatoes become part of the broth.  Mince garlic, get out the rice vinegar, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and sesame oil, and toss it all in a bowl along with the tomatoes.  Next, add cold-filtered or bottled water to the bowl (use water that tastes good).  Add diced scallions, and slices of radishes (the little red ones) or cucumbers to the broth. Set the broth aside.

Here’s the Hard Part

How to cook your somen.  DO NOT COOK YOUR SOMEN while you are getting the other components together. Make the broth and set it aside.  Focus on the noods so you don’t overcook them.  For somen (thin Japanese wheat noodles), start with plenty of unsalted water.  Somen has salt in it. If you use too little water, the noods will absorb too much water because of the salinity. Watch them like a hawk, and stir them with chopsticks or tongs while cooking to separate the noodles, this takes 3-4 minutes TOPS.  Remove from heat, rinse thoroughly under cold water and drain well.

Before serving, twirl noodles into a bundle and place them in a bowl.  Add crushed ice to the tomatoes and pour it over your noodles.  Garnish with additional scallions and sesame seeds.  It’s so refreshing, the perfect summer meal.  Carnivores, feel free to add shrimp or chicken or half of a hard-boiled egg.   Serve asap on a hot summer day.  Sooooooo good.

BONUS,  Ottolenghi’s Charred Tomatoes and Cold Yogurt.  Yes, my trifecta of tomato recipes.  Tomatoes, roasted with thyme, cumin seeds, lemon, and garlic,  served over yogurt or Labneh. It’s my go-to party appetizer, especially in the summer.  It’s “lick the bowl clean” good.  A showstopping, easy dish.  Make it, you’ll thank me.

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Cold Noodles with Tomatoes

Refreshing, delicious, and easy to prepare, Eric Kim's Cold Noodles with Tomatoes
Course noodles, one bowl meal, pasta, Soup
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American, Korean
Keyword cherry tomatoes, Cold noodles, Cold Noodles with Tomatoes, soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

The Star

  • 2 pints ripe cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

The Noods

  • 12 to 14 ounces somyeon somen, capellini or other thin wheat noodle

Soup and Seasonings

  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce Kikkoman, Sempio 501 or 701 or LKK Premium Soy
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 large garlic clove finely grated
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 cups cold filtered water or bottled water of your choice.
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

The Garnishes

  • 2 radishes thinly sliced, or cucumbers work in a pinch
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced at an angle
  • 2 cups crushed or cubed ice

Omnivore Options

  • cooked shrimp or shredded chicken
  • hard boiled eggs, but not too hard-boiled lol

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes and salt. Let sit until juicy, about 10 minutes.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package instructions, drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside. See post for how to cook somen noodles.
  • Add the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, mustard and sesame oil to the tomatoes, and toss with a spoon until well combined. Stir water into the tomatoes and sprinkle the surface of the broth with the sesame seeds, radishes and scallions.
  • Right before serving, add the ice to the broth. Divide the noodles among bowls, and ladle in the broth and any unmelted ice, making sure each serving gets a nice sprinkling of tomatoes, radishes, scallions and sesame seeds.
Jangjorim (Soy Braised Beef 장조림)

Jangjorim (Soy Braised Beef 장조림)

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I have a total backlog of recipes I want to share with you and this one is top of the list.  I have made this as many times as I have made Eric Kim’s Quick Grape Tomato Banchan or Ottolenghi’s Charred Tomato and Cold Yogurt (so good) and that is saying a lot.

Do You Banchan?

Jangjorim or Soy Braised Beef can be served as banchan (those yummy little dishes that come with every Korean meal) or as a topping to a rice bowl or in a bento box.

I’m not a salad lover. Well, let me rephrase that, I’m not a salad maker…so much trouble.  But banchan? Worth the trouble, I’ll make a batch of each, keep them in the fridge and pull ’em out for lunch and/or dinner.  They go with everything, rice, noodles, or sammies.  Want a little funkiness in your grill cheese, add kimchi (김치).  Want crunch and spice in your noodles, add spicy cucumbers (오이무침).  Pickled or braised veggies go so well with rice, maybe that’s why I like them.

Koreanbapsang’s recipe for Jangjorim is my starting point.  First step, make the stock to cook the meat.  The stock includes onions, scallions, garlic and Korean radish (mu,무).  The radish gives the dish sweetness, I save the radish to serve with the Jangjorim.  It’s delicious.

Shank-alicious

Next, cut beef into cubes and simmer in the stock.  Use brisket, flank, chuck, or my favorite, shank.  Shank is both flavorful and economical, win-win.  For those not familiar with shank, it comes cut crosswise into pieces with the bone in the center.  Remove the meat from the bone and cut it into pieces. Throw the bones into the cooking broth for extra flavor.  I’ve also used pork shoulder or butt as a substitute with nods of approval from the fam.  After simmering, remove the meat and place it in another pot along with 2.5 cups of the original stock and add the seasonings.  Reserve the radish.  Cook meat on medium heat for approximately 20 minutes.  Then add shishito peppers, boiled, peeled eggs, kelp (optional), and the reserved radish. Cook for another 10 minutes or until meat is tender.

Shishito peppers can be a bit spicy, so if you have little kids or big kids that are spice averse, use bell peppers or Anaheim peppers, and cut into manageable bite-sized pieces.  Cook eggs as you would six-minute ramen eggs.  Chill eggs thoroughly before final braising to avoid overcooking the eggs.  Normally, the eggs are hard-boiled but jammy eggs are my jam.

Jangjorim can be served at room temperature to warm as banchan or over rice.  The meat can be shredded or sliced.  It’s so flavorful, a little bit goes a long way.

I love this dish and hope you will try it!

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Jangjorim (Soy braised Beef)

Jangjorim or Soy braised Beef, adapted from Korean Bapsang, is a delicious Korean side dish that works well in a bento box too!
Course Meat, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian, Korean
Keyword Banchan, Korean, shishito peppers
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

Ingredients

Da Stars

  • 1.5 pounds shank meat or beef brisket you can sub pork shoulder or butt
  • 10 to 12 Shishito peppers or other fresh green peppers Use less and cut into halves if using large peppers
  • 3 boiled eggs* peeled

Da Stock

  • 1/2 medium yellow onion
  • 2 stalks scallions white part only save green parts for garnish
  • 6 ounces Korean radish (about 1/4-1/3 of one radish) mu, cut into big chunks
  • 7 cloves garlic
  • 3 slices thin ginger about 1-inch round
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppers or ground peppers to taste

Da Sauce

  • 5 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons soup soy sauce guk ganjang, 국간장 (or use more regular soy sauce)
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 tablespoons rice wine or mirin
  • 1 piece 3-inch square dried kelp substitute a bay leaf

Instructions

  • Cut the beef into 2-inch chunks. This recipe is very flexible. You use brisket or flank. I love beef beef shank which is very economical. It has great flavor and texture. You could even use pork shoulder or butt. Delicious!
  • In a medium pot, bring 8 cups of water and Da Stock ingredients to a boil. Cover and continue to boil for 5 minutes over medium-high heat.
  • Drop the meat into the pot. Bring it to a gentle boil, and remove the scum. Reduce the heat to medium. Boil, covered, for about 30 minutes.
  • Remove the meat. Strain the cooking liquid into a large bowl, and then add 2.5 cups of the liquid back to the pot. (You can save the remaining broth to make a soup or stew later.)
  • Add the meat and sauce ingredients to the pot. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, and boil, covered, until the meat is tender and the sauce is reduced to about ⅓, about 20 minutes. You can cook longer if the meat is still not tender enough.
  • Add the optional dried kelp, peppers and eggs and continue to boil for about 10 minutes. Discard the kelp, and transfer everything else to an airtight container for storage. Cool before storing in the fridge. Shred the meat and pour some sauce over to serve.
  • Optional: Serve the radish and onions with this dish! Normally, the meat is shredded, and served with shishito peppers and eggs.

Notes

Refrigerate in an airtight container. It will keep for a week. If you want to keep it longer, boil the meat and sauce again after a few days.
The meat will become hard in the fridge. You can soften it by leaving the shredded beef out at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, or microwave for about 20 seconds to soften.
Eggplant Unagi Don

Eggplant Unagi Don

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From one of my favorite sites, Two Plaid Aprons, a vegetarian version of Unagi Don!  Eel grilled with a sweet and savory sauce or “tare” is called unagi.  Don is short for donburi, which refers to the bowl and rice that serves as the landing spot for toppings like unagi.  Rice bowls, in my humble opinion, scream comfort food and this riff is no exception. If you are looking for some protein try a fam fav like Oyako Donburi, a Chicken and Egg Donburi.

Grilled and sauced unagi yields a smoky, savory-sweet, melt-in-your-mouth bite of deliciousness.  Eggplant braised in the same fashion makes a great stand-in for the unagi.  According to the hubster, the resident carnivore in my house, this will satisfy any meat-eater.  The tare is made with soy sauce, Mirin (sweet sake), sake, and sugar; ingredients found in most Asian grocery stores.  I like substituting dashi soy for the soy sauce which is a blend of soy sauce and fish stock that gives the eggplant a hint of brininess.

Anyway You Slice It

Leave the skin on the eggplant if you like. The other thing you can do is score the eggplant crosswise to mimic the striations on unagi.  Fry the eggplant until nicely charred, lower the heat and pour in unagi sauce and green onions. Cover and let the eggplant braise for 5 minutes or until tender but not mushy.  As the eggplant braises, it picks up the flavor of the sauce and becomes tender and soft like…eel. YUMMO.

Take the eggplant out and place it over your rice.  Garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds.  Serve immediately.  OR, take it over the top with a runny, sunny-side-up egg.  Enjoy!

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Eggplant Unagi Don

Eggplant Unagi Don, a delicious, easy prep, vegetarian version of Unagi Don
Course dinner, lunch, one bowl meal
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American, vegetarian
Keyword eggplant, mirin, Rice Bowl, soy sauce, vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Da Stars

  • 2 Japanese eggplant or Chinese eggplant washed, sliced in half lengthwise and crosswise if they are long.
  • 4 cups cooked white rice Feel free to use whatever grain you like, brown rice, farley, quinoa (not my choice but hey)

Da Sauce

  • 4 tbsp sake
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce regular or low sodium or Dashi Soy
  • 4 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 2 stalks Green onion, sliced
  • 1/8 tsp dashi powder or granules optional use with low sodium soy sauce

Da Garnish

  • Toasted white sesame seed, sliced green onions

Instructions

Unagi sauce:

  • In a small bowl, mix together sake, soy sauce, sugar, mirin and dashi if using. If you use Soy Dashi, skip the powder. Set aside until needed.

Eggplant Prep

  • Cut off stem of the eggplant and peel the skin with a vegetable peeler, this is optional, if you like skin, save yourself a step. Cut the eggplant in half crosswise, then slice each half evenly lengthwise. Lightly score eggplant crosswise every 1/8-1/4 inch, don't cut thru! This makes it look more like unagi.

Cookin' It

  • In a 10-inch shallow pan over medium high heat, add a couple tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is hot, place eggplant flat side down and sear until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip eggplant and sear the other side for a minute or two until golden brown.
  • Stir the prepared unagi sauce and pour it into the pan. Reduce heat to medium/medium-low to keep the sauce at a simmer. Place a lid on the pan and cook eggplant slices for 5 minutes.
  • After 5 minutes, remove the lid and flip eggplant slices to their flat side. Add half of the sliced green onions to the sauce and continue simmering for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the eggplant slices are tender and the sauce is reduced to a thick glaze. Remove pan from heat.

To Serve:

  • Scoop a serving of hot rice into each bowl.
  • Place two slices of eggplant unagi flat side up on each bowl of rice. Garnish with the remaining green onion and sesame seeds. Bowl food is soul food!
Scrambled Eggs and Beef over Rice (The Slippery Slope of Waat Dan Fan)

Scrambled Eggs and Beef over Rice (The Slippery Slope of Waat Dan Fan)

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Waat Dan Fan (滑蛋飯) is one of my absolute all-time favorite down-home Cantonese dishes.  The literal translation is Slippery Egg Rice.  This version includes beef so it’s called Waat Dan Gnow Yuk Fan (滑蛋牛肉飯).  Although it comes together quickly, it can be a little tricky to get the texture of the eggs right.  Don’t let that put you off though, it is well worth it.  It may take a couple of tries, as it did with me, but the return is HUGE.  You will be rewarded with a homey, satisfying, tasty dish of stir-fried beef nestled in a pool of silky, scrambled-swirled eggs flavored with scallions and ginger.  Soooooo good!  真好吃!

Don’t Slip Up on the Mise on Place

  • Everyone thinks stir-frying is quick and easy, although the cooking portion is quick, it’s the prep that takes time. Everything has to be ready for the stir-frying to look effortless.  This dish is no egg-ception.
  • Slice and marinate your beef and put it in a bowl to the side.  Note, the oil in the marinade goes in last AFTER the beef has sat for 15-20 minutes and absorbed the marinade.
  • Crack your eggs into a bowl and whisk them with a pinch of salt.  Set it near the beef and close to the stove.
  • Slice your green onions and set them aside.
  • Have your 1/2 cup of stock to which you have added the sugar and salt along with the slurry of cornstarch and water ready.
  • Place the prepped ingredients next to the stove.

You’ll thank me

This is a classic Cantonese dish, the epitome of soul food.  I love serving it in a bowl with a spoon. Looking for a vegetarian rift? Try Tomato & Egg Rice.  Enjoy!

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5 from 1 vote

Hong Kong Style Slippery Eggs and Beef on Rice

Classic Cantonese dish that comes together in minutes, Slippery Egg and Stir Fried Beef Over Rice
Course homestyle, Main Course, soul food
Cuisine Asian
Keyword Cantonese cooking, egg, plate rice, Slippery beef
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces Flank steak, flat iron or sirloin, thinly sliced
  • 2 large eggs can use extra large or jumbo
  • 1/2 cup water or chicken stock (low sodium)
  • 2 tbsp sliced green onions
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • peanut oil
  • 1 tsp cornstarch + 3 tbsp water MIx in a small bowl and set aside

Mainade for Beef

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1-2 slices fresh ginger, julienned
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • dash of white pepper
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp water

Serve over hot rice or rice noodles

  • 2-3 cups of steamed white rice

Instructions

  • Slice the beef to 0.2 mm thick, add the marinade ingredients except for the oil, marinade for 20 minutes. As the beef sits it will absorb alot of the water. Add oil after the beef has sat. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, beat eggs with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
  • Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add beef, stir-fry until it is no longer pink. Remove the beef and set aside. If beef has a lot of liquid, pour it into a strainer placed over a bowl to drain.
  • Pour the broth or water into the pan used to stir-fry the beef, add salt and sugar, and bring it to a boil.
  • Add the cornstarch water mix, and bring to a boil again. The mixture will thicken to a thin sauce consistency. Lower the heat to medium-low.
  • Pour the eggs into the sauce in a stream moving around the pan. Let it set a bit and then stir gently to allow eggs to continue to cook and set a bit more. It will still be very loose and the stock slurry will still be visible.
  • Add the beef and sliced scallions and cook for 30 seconds to one minute, stirring gently to blend the sauce and eggs. The mixture will be saucy.
  • Spoon cooked hot rice into shallow bowls large enough to hold 1-2 cups of rice. Pour the beef and egg mixture over the rice. Garnish with additional sliced scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately.