20 Minute Spicy Pork Noodles

October 03, 2019 in Tips & Tricks

Oof. Here’s a controversial question for an Asian American to ask:

Do you like noodles or rice better?

My answer?

Noodles. Always noodles. 100% of the time.

I love noodles so much. Beef noodle soup. Dan dan noodles. Dan zai noodles. Pho. Bolognese. Spaghetti. Naengmyeon. All of it.

So in order to maximize my noodle intake, I’ve developed a new weeknight noodle that hits all the spots in just 20 minutes or less. It’s spicy, porky, and cooks in the time it takes to boil the noodles.

Ingredients

ground pork
ginger
garlic
chile paste (doubanjiang)
cornstarch
water
noodles

Start by boiling the water. If you’re in a hurry, boil the water in a tea kettle. It’s so much faster and you can just pour the boiling water into the pot when it’s ready. I know I put 20 minutes in the title, but with a tea kettle, these noodles can easily be done in 15. Mix a small teaspoon of cornstarch into some water to create a slurry and set aside.

Saute some finely chopped ginger (about 1 inch) and garlic (2-3 cloves) in a little bit of oil. The pork releases a good amount of oil so no need to put too much initially. Once the ginger and garlic are soft, but not browned, put in the ground pork. For two people, 1/4-1/2 lb is usually enough. These noodles are not meant to be covered in pork, just enough for flavor.

Once the pork is browned off, put in a tablespoon of the chile paste. I like doubanjiang but you honestly could go with any type of chile paste. Sambal oelek, harissa paste, black bean paste. Any type of funky, salty, spicy chile paste would work here. Mix the paste in with the pork until it’s cooked off for a minute or two. Fill it up with 1/2 (?) cup of water and let it simmer for 2 minutes.

Pour in your cornstarch slurry - the amount of liquid you put in will depend on how saucey you want the sauce. For example, I love super saucey noodles but my husband likes drier noodles. Therefore, we compromise and land in the middle. :) Noodles go in and mix it all up! Top with chopped scallions or cilantro.

Happy cooking!

Slow-Cooked Dinner: Weeknight Edition

September 22, 2019 in Tips & Tricks

Cooking has always been a form of stress relief for me. The routine feeling of chopping vegetables, sautéing onions and garlic in olive oil, stirrings yummy bits around a pot - these are all very calming activities for me after a long day of work. However, after those particularly long days of work and I’m ravenous, the last thing I want to do is spend over an hour making dinner. But what if I do want a slow-cooked dinner on a week night? What’s a girl to do?

Keep reading for a one-two weeknight dinner routine that has changed my views on a “quick weeknight dinner”.

Savory, Spicy Meatballs (work in progress)

August 05, 2019 in Tips & Tricks

Last Friday, I wanted to throw together a quick dinner before the husband and I went out with some friends for drinks. There was a pound of pork in the fridge that needed to be used ASAP - so meatballs it is! However, I normally only ever make the italian style meatball and was craving a new recipe to add to my meatball archives. Poking around in the fridge, I had enough ingredients to make it more of an Asian style meatball.

Like all new things I cook, there were a few errors along the way and I’ll probably change it up the next time I attempt these meatballs. I don’t believe in perfecting a “recipe” before sharing it since new ideas are too exciting to withhold. Cooking is forever a learning process but I’m a big fan of how they turned out.

Farmer's Market Haul (and what I made with it)

July 29, 2019 in Tips & Tricks

This past weekend, my husband and I went up to Madison, WI for a quick one night getaway to check out the Dane County Farmers’ Market in Capitol Square. You guys. It was AMAZING. I ended up buying a bunch of heirloom tomatoes, a giant bunch of basil for $1 (!!!), and some sweet red onions, and fresh corn. I didn’t really think it through and the tomatoes and basil got a little bit dented and droopy on the way home. BUT THEY MADE IT. See what I made Sunday night with these farmers’ market goodies…

My Summer Food Checklist

July 22, 2019 in Tips & Tricks

We are smack dab in the middle of summer and there are so many things I still need to eat. I’m all for winter stews that take hours to braise and steamy mugs of coffee…but summer. Fruits and vegetables taste significantly better during these summer months and I am determined to eat all that I can before we have to survive through the Midwest tundra again. Keep reading for everything I plan on making this summer…

All of the tomatoes. Sliced up, drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper. Maybe some basil. Maybe some mozzarella if you’re feeling fancy. Summer tomatoes are. my. jam. And they are necessary in the summer months when the farmers markets and grocery stores are overfilling with them (someone has to buy them and it should be you). Toast some sourdough bread in olive oil, spread a little mayo, slice some tomatoes, drape some prosciutto on top - perfect summer picnic lunch.

Homemade pesto. Earlier this summer, I wandered around the local farmer’s market and stumbled upon some garlic ramps. I had never used garlic ramps before and rarely (if ever) see them in the grocery stores. So I took some home and proceeded to make some pesto with it. Your standard parmesan, pine nuts, olive oil pesto but with garlic ramps. Holy cow it was delicious. I put it on everything - bread, pasta, thinned out as a salad dressing, as a dip. Highly recommend.

Grilled steak. I make steak in the fall and winter quite often, and always the same way. Seared to medium rare, basted with butter, rosemary, and garlic. This method doesn’t change in the summer months. But there is something about a summer steak with charred vegetables (scallions, asparagus, or bell peppers) eaten al fresco that just makes it feel that much more satisfying. Bonus points if its served next to a cool new cocktail you’ve been experimenting with.

Watermelon. A whole watermelon eaten in one sitting with some friends. Or big slices eaten outside on the grass with watermelon juice dripping down your arms. Or muddled with some mint for watermelon mojitos. Or tossed with some olive oil, red wine vinegar, mint, and feta. The opportunities are endless.

Corn. Throw it on a grill until the husks are blackened. Rub with unabashed amounts of good butter (my favorite is Irish Kerrygold) and salt. Or raw and chopped into a salad with lots of lime and cilantro. Or grill it Taiwanese-style! Make a sauce of sha-cha (Taiwanese bbq sauce), garlic, sugar, soy sauce, shallots. Baste it consistently until the entire corn is charred and basting sauce has caramelized. It’s so damn cheap in the summer that you can eat it all of these different ways without breaking the bank.

Sausages. The underdog of barbecues. People always wait for the burgers or the buttered corn but sausages are the secret weapon of all grillers when everyone starts to get hungry. Spicy italian, mild italian, brats - you name it, it’s all good. The trick is to boil them beforehand (~10 minutes, start from cold water). This way, they’re 85% cooked through before you throw them on the grill to get super caramelized and juicy. Pile on some caramelized onions on a lightly toasted bun and you’ll have a definite winner at your next barbecue.

Tacos. A summer taco party is always a fun idea for a group of friends. It’s not too difficult to put together and feeds a lot of mouths. Grill up some meat, dice it up to bite size pieces, pile on some slaw or pico and call it a day. Serve with lots of lime, cilantro, and plenty of ice-cod beer.

Party Dips

July 14, 2019 in Dinner Parties, Tips & Tricks

On my post about dinner party basics, I mentioned that dips are one of my go-to appetizers when entertaining. To be honest, I love dips so much that I will gladly have a lunch or dinner composed of just a few different dips. Keep reading for four of my favorite dips…

Dinner Party Basics: Timing and Structure

June 27, 2019 in Dinner Parties, Tips & Tricks

My parents are hosting machines. Some of my favorite memories as a child involved a giant dinner table with all of my cousins, my grandma, my aunts and uncles, and my parents. Relatives would waltz in and out of the house, sometimes popping in for dinner or right after, settling down around the dining room table as my mom brewed some tea for everyone. Wine glasses and stained corks would litter the table after late-night conversations. To this day, every year when I’m home for Thanksgiving weekend, my high school friends still congregate at the same table while my parents pop open a few bottles of wine. Everything seemed effortless. You can say I inherited the same hosting gene - but it took me a few tries to achieve “effortless”.

Over the years, I’ve found the best structure that works for my sanity. I’m able to cook what I want without driving myself nuts and I bake in enough time for myself to decompress before guests arrive. Here is a comprehensive timing guideline for a relaxed dinner party.

Weeknight Risotto Basics

June 24, 2019 in Tips & Tricks

Risotto is one of those indulgent meals that always seemed too difficult or time-consuming to make. After each failed attempt, I would throw my hands up in defeat and the bag of half-used arborio rice would sit alone in the pantry for months. But after a few more determined tries this past year, I think I’ve gotten the formula down to its simplest form. Practice a few times but as long as you get the general technique and structure down, you should be smooth sailing.

Things I Always Have in the Fridge

June 21, 2019 in Tips & Tricks

Here’s something you might not know about me:

I love grocery stores.

Seriously. When I was 15, I had double dates with my high school best friend at the local grocery store. These days, if I’ve had a tough day at work, my husband knows to ask “Should we swing by Whole Foods on the way home?” It’s a thing.

There’s something calming about wandering aimlessly through the produce section, peering at each type of protein in the meat section (for the sales - duh), and poking around for interesting additions in the pantry aisles. I rarely go to the grocery store with a list - instead, I stock up on my essentials and leave it up to that particular store to inspire my next meal. With my essentials in stock, I know I always have something to fall back on for dinner. Here are some crucial items: