Category: Soups & One Dish Meals

Soups, one dish meals, casseroles
Roasted Chicken & Croutons with Fish-Sauce Butter-Sheet Pan Magic

Roasted Chicken & Croutons with Fish-Sauce Butter-Sheet Pan Magic

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I couldn’t help but tweak Eric Kim’s Roasted Chicken with Fish-Sauce Butter title.  I added Croutons to the title because… lets be real, the croutons are the star of this dish.  It reminds me of Roti Roti, a food truck fixture in the Bay Area.  A simple winning formula of chickens roasting on a spit, dripping all that deliciousness onto a bed of potatoes below it.  Well, that’s this dish but with bread and your own oven.

First, roast chicken thighs on a sheet pan (the operative words for an easy meal) in a 450-degree oven.  This gives you crispy skin chicken and a pool of deliciousness aka SCHMALTZ on the pan.  Then toss flakes (yes flakes, more on that later) of bread onto the pan and smoosh it around so it soaks up the chicken fat.  Shove it back into the oven, and fifteen minutes later those bread flakes have morphed into golden, crunchy, umami bombs.

It’s Soooo Good

I divide the dish evenly between me and the hubsters, he gets the chicken,  I get the croutons, yep, 50-50 all the way.

Let’s talk flakes.  You can use any bread you like, sourdough, milk bread, or my favorite, ciabatta.  The key is to tear the bread so you get shards or flakes.  Cubes don’t cut it for this dish, not enough surface area. Try to tear or split the bread to form flakes for ultimate crispness.

The rest is easy-peasy.  Place chicken on a sheet pan, and season with salt and pepper.  Go easy with the salt as the fish sauce has salt. Drizzle olive oil on the chicken and flip each piece around to coat each piece.  Roast for approximately 25 minutes.  I prefer bigger pieces of chicken so the skin crisps without drying out the chicken.  Pull the chicken out, there should be a nice puddle of schmaltz in the pan.  Add the croutons to the pan and toss the bread in the chicken fat.  Slide the pan back into the oven to crisp the croutons and finish the chicken.  If the chicken is cooked through before the croutons, pull them out and continue to bake the croutons.

Meanwhile…

While the chicken and croutons are roasting, make the Fish-Sauce Butter.  The sauce is genius, easy to make, and delish with just four ingredients, fish sauce (I use 3 Crab Vietnamese Fish Sauce), lemon juice, brown sugar, and BUTTER.  Reduce the first 3 ingredients to a syrupy consistency.  When the surface of the sauce is covered with bubbles, turn the heat off and add the chunk of COLD butter to the pan and swirl to create an emulsion.

Leave the chicken and croutons in the pan, drizzle some of the sauce on the chicken and croutons, garnish with cilantro and green onions, and bring the pan to the table.  So easy. Serve the remaining sauce on the side. If you want to be fancy, transfer chicken and croutons to a serving platter.

Accompaniments?  Rice, double carb, is always yummy, or I like serving it with mashed cauliflower.  Another winner from Eric Kim.  Sheet pan magic happening here.

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Roasted Chicken and Croutons with Fish-Sauce Butter

From Eric Kim via NYTCooking, roasted chicken thighs, toasty croutons, and a scrumptious, quick sauce made with Vietnamese Fish Sauce, brown sugar, lemon, and butter. The perfect weekday meal.
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword brown butter, Chicken thighs, croutons, fish sauce, oven-baked
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
  • Kosher salt such as Diamond Crystal and black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¾ pound bread crusts removed, bread torn into bite-size pieces about 4 cups;
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons COLD unsalted butter kept in one piece
  • Cilantro leaves with tender stems for serving
  • scallions or chives, chopped garnish for serving

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 450 degrees. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and pepper. (The fish-sauce butter is plenty salty, so don’t overdo the salt here.)
  • Arrange the chicken skin-side up on a sheet pan and drizzle the oil over the chicken skin, coating it evenly.
  • Roast until the chicken is light gold and the sheet pan is a pool of hot, rendered chicken fat, SCHMALTZ, about 20-25 minutes.
  • Take the sheet pan out of the oven, scatter the bread around the chicken. Using tongs toss gently to coat in the chicken fat.
  • Place the pan back in the oven and roast until the chicken is golden, crispy and sizzling (you’ll hear it), about 15 minutes.
  • While the chicken roasts, combine the brown sugar, fish sauce and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, occasionally swirling the pan or stirring the sauce with a wooden spoon, until it bubbling vigorously and the mixture has reduced by about half, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and add the butter, constantly swirling the pan or stirring with a wooden spoon, until all of the butter has melted and incorporated into the fish sauce mixture. It should be a heavy syrup consistency.
  • To serve, scatter the cilantro and scallions or chives over the chicken and croutons. Spoon some of the fish-sauce butter over each chicken thigh, reserving some to add to each plate for dipping the chicken and croutons while eating, so yummy.

Notes

Roasting chicken thighs in a hot oven is a hands-off way to achieve two of life’s greatest pleasures: crispy skin and golden schmaltz. And you want that chicken fat because it will crisp hand-torn bread into croutons. A bold but balanced fish-sauce butter that you whip up on the stovetop while the rest of the meal takes care of itself in the oven, takes this over the top. Be sure to start with cold butter; the gradual melting of the fat helps thicken the sauce without breaking it.
After making this dish...go get his cookbook, Korean American, another winner.
Chicken Wings and Daikon Nimono + TV for Rainy Days

Chicken Wings and Daikon Nimono + TV for Rainy Days

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It’s raining once again in California.  Which is the best excuse to stay home (in sweats), watch a lot of TV, bake, and cook.  I started the weekend on a carb bender. First, I made No-Knead Focaccia from Bon Appetit, it gets a big thumbs up, pillowy, springy, and delicious.  Caveat:  You have to start a day earlier for said focaccia, since there is 8 hours of resting time. Then I started on Kristina Cho’s Milk Bread from Mooncakes and Milk Bread, also extremely delicious.  Think of it as the Asian version of Brioche, slightly sweet, buttery, rich, and soft.

THEN, I needed a Bread Bake Break

Well, actually, my hips needed a break.  The combination of being a couch potato and baking is, to say the least, lethal.  I had to pick one, couch or carbs. Couch won.  Mainly because I started watching a cute, sweet Japanese show on Netflix called Makanai:  Cooking for the Maiko House. In a nutshell, two BFFs go off to Kyoto to become geishas.  One becomes a geisha while the other is a total washout but a fabulous cook (thanks to her grandmother), and becomes the Makanai or resident chef for the house, a role usually held by an older woman.  Each episode features something yummy, often a comforting, homestyle dish, made by Kiyo.

Well, you can’t sit there watching without a bowl of something delicious.  The cold, wet, weather and The Makanai put me in the mood for Nimono.  Nimono, a family-style dish usually contains protein, vegetables, or tofu simmered in a seasoned dashi (stock).  I scoured my fridge and found chicken wings and daikon (radish) perfect for Nimono.

Start by browning the wings.  I got fancy and grilled them, don’t bother, one more pan to clean. Then add your dashi, seasonings, and sliced daikon and bring to a boil. Cover the Nimono with a piece of parchment.  This keeps everything submerged so it cooks evenly.  Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the daikon is soft. Pierce daikon with a knife to test, if it pierces easily, it’s done.   Korean radish would work well also.

Meanwhile, as the chicken and daikon are simmering, make your eggs.  Use the ramen egg recipe for a soft center yolk.  Cool the eggs and peel.  Place eggs in cold water to chill (so it doesn’t overcook when you put it in the Nimono).

When the radish is soft, Place eggs in Nimono.  Try to submerge them so they absorb the flavor of the broth.  Simmer an additional 5 minutes.

Garnish with green onions, and or sesame seeds.  Serve with rice and eat while sitting in front of the telly watching Makanai, Midnight Diner, or Julie and Julia…

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5 from 1 vote

Chicken Wings and Daikon Nimono and Netflix

Simple and quick Japanese braised dish of chicken wings and radish
Course One dish meals
Cuisine Asian, Japanese
Keyword Chicken, daikon, ninono, one pot meal
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 8-12 Chickin wings
  • 6-8 Ounce Daikon radish can use Korean radish cut into 1/2 inch rounds
  • 4 Eggs boiled till the yolk is still jammy, see ramen eggs post

Seasonings and stock:

  • 1 Clove Garlic
  • 2 tsp Instant Japanese soup stock (you will need 1 cup of dashi) or make dashi with packet or Shiro dashi
  • 2 tbsp Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Soy sauce if using dashi packet, increase to 2 T
  • 4 Tbsp Sake
  • 2 Tbsp Mirin

Options

  • Add mushrooms or sliced carrots with daikon if you like

Instructions

  • Make dashi and set aside. You can use the powder Hondashi, or dashi bags, or Shiro Dashi concentrate. For concentrate dilute 1:12 Make 1-1.5 cups
  • Peel and cut the daikon into 1/2 inch slices. Set aside.
  • Sauté the chicken wings approximately 2 minutes a side in a 3-4 quart saucepan. They should be light brown.
  • Add dashi to pot followed by soy sauce, mirin and sake. Add daikon on top. Bring to a boil then lower heat to a simmer. Use an otoshibuta (dropped or parchment lid) while simmering although you can forego this step. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until radish is soft when pierced with a knife.
  • While chicken is simmering, make ramen eggs or hard boil the eggs just until the yolk is barely set. Peel and place eggs in an ice bath. When nimono is done, add peeled eggs to it and let it simmer another 5 minutes. Make sure the eggs are submerged in the broth.
  • Ladle the Nikon into bowls, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with rice and a half or whole egg per person. It's worthwhile making nimono in advance, since it tastes better the next day. Or just make a larger quantity to keep. Reheat before eating at home, or reheat then let cool down again if using for bento. Can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.
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.
Stir-Fried Pork Belly and Bean Sprouts

Stir-Fried Pork Belly and Bean Sprouts

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I created 3jamigos to chronicle our family’s food adventures, recipes, and stories, for my kids.  In college, I often called home to ask my dad how to make homestyle Cantonese dishes I grew up eating.  Dishes like fuzzy melon soup, congee, and steamed pork patty, were the connection to my family, a sure-fire remedy to my homesickness.  Things have come full circle, I’m now on the receiving end of the “how do you make…?”.  When I come across a simple and delicious dish, and I think the kids would like it, I make a mental note to put it on 3jamigos.

Soul Food

The OG meal to cure homesickness! Corn Soup, stir-fried anything green, Steamed Pork Patty with Salted Eggs, and Steamed Chicken with Chinese Sausage, and Mushrooms.

Soul food for my family is Cantonese food (Roots, Baby), but over the years has expanded to other Asian cuisines.  Nowadays, you are just as likely to find Bulgogi, Japchae, and Teriyaki on our dinner table.  My latest find is the cookbook,  A Common Table by Cynthia McTernan, it speaks to the melting pot we are.  Absolutely one of my favorites. It’s beautifully written, gorgeously photographed, and filled with delicious user-friendly recipes.  I have also come to depend on blogs and websites for Korean, Vietnamese, and Japanese recipes that are now part of the family meal rotation.

This quick and easy, Stir-Fried Pork Belly with Bean Sprouts has become a family favorite.   Adapted from the blog, Korean Bapsang, it is a quick meal on a busy weeknight.  A couple of minutes of prepping and cooking is all it takes.  Before you know it you’ll be sitting down to a bowl of steaming hot rice topped with a generous scoop of yummy pork and sprouts…yep, bowl food is soul food.

Check It Out Now-Sprout Soul Sistah

Slivers of pork belly stir-fried with bean sprouts, onions, and scallions seasoned with soy sauce and oyster sauce, it’s simple and delicious.   Use thinly sliced pork butt or shoulder instead of pork belly if you like. Thinly sliced beef is also an option.  IN A PINCH, use regular thick-sliced bacon.  This would add that characteristic smoky flavor of bacon, which would be okay in my book 😉.

Sprouts

The only thing you need to know about the bean sprouts for this recipe…don’t overcook them!  Keep them crunchy!  That’s it, folks.  Make sure you pick sprouts that are white and shiny, with a nice yellow tip.  I also threw in a thinly sliced, de-seeded Serrano or Thai pepper, for a little spice.

Enjoy!

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Stir-fried pork belly and bean sprouts-Samgyupsal sukju bokkeum

A quick and easy stir fry of pork belly and bean sprouts.
Course Meat, One dish meals, Vegetable
Cuisine Asian, Korean
Keyword Pork Belly
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces thinly sliced/shaved pork belly or other thinly sliced pork or beef
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 10 ounces bean sprouts
  • 1/4 medium onion thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic or 2 -3 plump garlic cloves
  • 2-3 scallions or 2 ounces garlic chives cut into 1 inch segments, if they are large, cut in half lengthwise first
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or oyster sauce Use 1 T of each
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 fresh red chili pepper, deseeded and sliced thinly

Instructions

  • If you are using pork belly, cut each slice into 1 inch segments, for other meats thinly sliced into bite sized pieces
  • Give the bean sprouts a quick rinse, and drain. Thinly slice the onion, and cut the scallions (or garlic chives) into 2-inch pieces.
  • Heat a large pan over high heat. Add the sesame oil to the pan and then the pork, stir-fry quickly until no longer pink.
  • Add the onion and stir fry briefly 30 seconds. Add bean sprouts chili pepper (if using) and scallions, continue to stir fry until the bean sprouts have wilted slightly but are still crunchy.
  • Add the soy sauce and/or oyster sauce, garlic, sugar and pepper to taste. Stir-fry quickly. Season with salt to taste if necessary. Serve with a big bowl of rice (although this would go well with noods too). Enjoy!

Notes

You can find a variety of extra thin cut meats in your local Korean/Asian markets.
If you want to thinly slice the meat yourself, freeze the meat until it's firm, but still sliceable. With a sharp knife, slice the meat as thin as you can.
Soy Sauce Fried Noodles (Just Noodlin’ Around, 豉油王炒麵)

Soy Sauce Fried Noodles (Just Noodlin’ Around, 豉油王炒麵)

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One of my favorite dishes, when we are out for dim sum, is Hong Kong Style Chow Mein or Soy Sauce Fried Noodles (豉油王炒麵).  This is Cantonese soul food.  Thin egg noodles fried with onions, scallions, and bean sprouts.  It is deceptively simple.  How does a dish with so few ingredients, taste so good?  It’s the balance, skinny noodles dry-fried to retain their chew and texture; stir-fried onions for sweetness and texture, scallions for flavor and color, and last but not least, bean sprouts for textural crunch.  There aren’t any big pieces of meat or greens that disrupt the balance of the dish.  Everything is julienned or in slivers to compliment the noodles.

Like Yin and Yang, balanced and harmonious.  It flies under the radar due to its simplicity and is the perfect side dish.  These noodles are your bestie, your essential wingman, Goose to Maverick.

The seasonings are few, soy sauce, oyster sauce, a bit of sugar for balance, and that’s pretty much it.  This means, start with great sauces, ones you like.  My favorites?  LKK oyster sauce, it is my go-to brand (Woman and Little Boy in a Boat).  It’s the only oyster sauce I have in my pantry.
Soy Sauces are a different matter, there are so many.  Different in style, use, and taste.  Literally, I have over 12 different soy sauces, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, and even Hawaiian.

SOY, Let’s Break It Down

In Cantonese cuisine, the dark soy sauce is actually not as salty as light soy sauce.  Sugar or molasses is added to the base sauce for flavor, color and to balance the saltiness.  It is used during marinating or cooking.  Light Soy Sauce, is the first press of soybeans and is salty.  It is the go-to sauce, to marinade, cook, and to use on the table, like salt.  The soy sauce found on the table in Chinese restaurants is light soy sauce or often Kikkoman, which falls between light and dark soy sauce.  A good all-purpose soy sauce.   Koon Chun, a Hong Kong legacy company makes wonderful Light and Dark Soy Sauces (My Dad’s favorite)

For these noodles, it’s imperative you use soy sauces you like since it is a predominant flavor ingredient.  This dish requires 2 different soy sauces, light soy (shēng chōu, 生抽) and dark soy (Lǎo chōu, 老抽).  The literal translation is “new sauce” for light soy and “old sauce” for dark soy. The dark and light soy is most prevalent in Canton, southeast China (ME!).

My favorites for this dish are Pearl River Bridge Light Soy Sauce and LKK Dark Soy Sauce.  A great alternative is Korean Soy Sauce. I would use Sempio 701 which has a briny, rich, savory taste with a hint of sweetness.  The Soup Soy seen in the picture (end left)  is light soy and used mainly when making soup. It provides salt and umami without coloring your stocks. I use Aloha Soy Sauce for my marinades for bbq and any Hawaiian recipe (I have lots, love Hawaiian food-onolicious)

The NOODS

The other half of the equation is the noodles in this dish, so pick the right one!

  • Choose noodles that are THIN, ie. Cantonese style or Hong Kong-style noodles.  Preferably egg noodles.  Fresh or dry (I like fresh), I repeat THIN noodles.  Look for Fresh Steamed, or fresh Hong Kong or Cantonese-style noodles.
  • Don’t follow the cooking directions!  You want to undercook these noodles so they don’t break or get mushy when frying.
  • To ensure you don’t overcook the noodles.  Separate the noodles and place them in a colander over the sink.  Pour boiling water over the noodles and let them drain and dry.  Voila noodles ready for pan-frying.  Alternatively, put the noodles in boiling water for no more than 30 seconds after it comes to a boil.  Remove and drain well.

Better to undercook your noodles!!!  Made with Lau has a great video for making Hong Kong Style Noodles.  This recipe is essentially his with a couple of tweaks and notes.  Great site for down home Cantonese food from a pro!

Once the wok is hot, add 1 tablespoon oil to pan,  add noodles.  On high heat, keep moving the noodles around to dry and crisp the noodles.  Stir fry for 2 0r 3 minutes.   Then flip the noodles over  (big flip), drizzle another tablespoon of oil down the side of the wok or pan.  Continue to fry and move the noodles around. The goal is a mix of both crisp and soft noodles. Add sprouts and onions to the wok and fry until heated through and a bit wilted.  You want the sprouts to retain their crunch.  Alternatively, you could quick-fry the green onions and sprouts separately and add them to the noodles with the yellow onions and scallion roots.  If you really like the vegetables to stay crisp, fry the noodles and add sauce mixture before adding the vegetables.

These are my favorite, a classic, Soy Sauce Fried Noodles!

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5 from 2 votes

Soy Sauce Fried Noodles Hong Kong Style Chow Mein

Classic noodle dish found in Dim Sum restaurants and Chinese delis. Simplicity perfected
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian
Keyword Hong Kong style Noodles, Stir-fried Noodles
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 16 oz Hong Kong style pan fried noodles unsteamed or steamed I’m lazy I get steamed
  • 1/2 yellow onion cut into thin slices, lengthwise
  • 5 stalks green onion (or Chinese Chives) Cut into 1.5 inch pieces and then julienned.
  • 6-8 oz bean sprouts Washed and drained
  • 3 tbsp peanut oil or vegetable oil of choice

Sauce

  • 1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1.5 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1.5 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 0.5 tbsp shaoxing wine
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp sesame oil to taste

Instructions

Prep Noodles

  • Steam noodles, drain, cool. Please DON’T over cook your noodles!!! This is the takeaway.
  • For fresh, steamed noodles, bring pot of water to a boil. Drop in noodles (separated), bring the water back to a boil and take them out-pronto! Leave them in colander to drain and dry out a little.
  • If you're using dried noodles, cook according to the package's instructions, erring on the more al-dente side, and rinse with cold water afterwards to stop the cooking. Drain well.

Veggies

  • Cut green onions into about 1.5 inch pieces. Separate the light and the green sections. The light part will be cooked first with the yellow onion.
  • Cut yellow onion in half, and julienne half (thinly slice lengthwise)
  • Rinse and drain bean sprouts

Sauce

  • Combine soy sauces, oyster sauce, sugar, and water in a bowl, stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Frying Time

  • On high, heat wok, to around 350-400°F, basically smokin hot.
  • When the wok is hot, add oil (1 tbsp) and heat to 350-400°F. The oil should be "shimmering" - rippling, but not smoking. If it's smoking, the wok is too hot. Little wisps of smoke is okay.
  • Saute’ green onion whites and onions for about 1 minute and reserve.
  • Heat the wok again and add 1 T oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the noodles.
  • Move the noodles around the pan gently. DO NOT flip them yet, move the noodles around so parts get crispy. Cook for about 3 minutes moving the noodles carefully.
  • Turn the top noodles over so the noodles are on the bottom, add 1 T oil along the perimeter of the pan to help develop a nice crisp. Let the noodles cook on this side for another 3 minutes, occasionally prodding and moving the noodles.
  • The noodles will not stick to the pan if they are not overcooked. Lifting the noodles as you fry helps release moisture.
  • Add bean sprouts and stir fry for 30-45 seconds. Use tongs or cooking chopsticks to help you move the noodles around. Place the noodles over the sprouts to help cook them. Better to undercook sprouts, you want to retain their crunch!
  • Add sautéed onion-green onion mixture and mix to incorporate and heat onions. No more than a minute.
  • Add sauce by pouring it in a steady stream all over the noodles and vegetables. Keep moving and lifting the noodles to coat with sauce and release any extra moisture.
  • Add sesame oil and continue to mix and separate the noodles for another 1-2 minutes. If the noodles seem to be getting a bit soft, take them off the heat. The oil does not need to cook.
  • Taste the noodles, season with salt and dark soy if the noodles are not dark enough. Add white pepper if you like.
  • Garnish julienned green onion shreds. Serve immediately.