Mongolian Noodles with Ground Beef

 Mongolian Noodles with Ground Beef

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cooking Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes

Kcal: 420 kcal per serving | Servings: 4

Ingredients:

8 oz ramen noodles (or any thin noodles)

1 lb ground beef

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

2 green onions, chopped (for garnish)

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water (optional, for thickening)

Directions:

Cook the Noodles:

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Prepare the Sauce:

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Cook the Beef:

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Drain any excess fat.

Combine Everything:

Add the minced garlic to the cooked beef and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the prepared sauce and stir to coat the beef. If you'd like a thicker sauce, add the cornstarch slurry and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until thickened.

Toss with Noodles:

Add the cooked noodles to the skillet and toss to combine, ensuring the noodles are evenly coated with the sauce.

Serve:

Transfer to serving plates and garnish with chopped green onions. Serve hot.

Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken

Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken

Prep Time: 15 minutes + Marinating | Cooking Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes + Marinating | Kcal: 310 kcal | Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon ginger, grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

Sliced green onions and sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and black pepper.

Place chicken breasts in a large ziplock bag and pour the marinade over them. Seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best flavor.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Remove chicken from marinade, reserving the marinade. Grill chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side or until fully cooked.

While chicken is grilling, pour reserved marinade into a small saucepan. Mix cornstarch and water, then stir into the marinade. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until thickened.

Brush the thickened sauce over the grilled chicken. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Korean Sloppy Joes

Korean Sloppy Joes 

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 22 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, 85/15 fat content

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sriracha

2 green onions, sliced thinly

4 brioche rolls

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat, breaking it apart but leaving some chunks.

Once browned, add garlic, sesame oil, ketchup, hoisin, water, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sriracha. Stir well until the sauce thickens and the mixture becomes "sloppy."

Toast the brioche rolls, then spoon the beef mixture over them. Top with sliced green onions.

One-Pot Honey Garlic Chicken and Noodles

 One-Pot Honey Garlic Chicken and Noodles

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb (450 g) chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce (use low sodium if preferred)

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for spice)

8 oz (225 g) noodles (lo mein or spaghetti)

2 cups chicken broth

1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water

2 tbsp green onions, chopped (for garnish)

Sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 5-6 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the garlic and onion. Sauté until fragrant and the onion becomes translucent, about 2-3 minutes.

Stir in honey, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes (if using). Simmer for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and uncooked noodles. Stir to coat the noodles in the sauce. Cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender.

Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and stir to combine. Add the cornstarch slurry and let the sauce thicken for 1-2 minutes.

Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds before serving.

A Day of Mourning, A Day of Celebration

(Trigger warning, siren begins at 00:46)

Yom haZikaron (Memorial Day for Israel's fallen soldiers and victims of terror) in Israel has a very small town feel to it. It's not about sales at the malls, the inconvenience of banks and government offices being closed, or a day off from school. As a matter of fact, other than offices being closed, Israel does things very differently than in the US.

Malls and supermarkets and other retail stores will generally close early. Theaters, restaurants, and bars are closed. School is early dismissal and chances are there were assemblies for part of the day. There are ceremonies everywhere. People really feel the day. And then there are the sirens.

The Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar, so holidays and observances begin at sundown and end at sundown the next day. At 8PM, a siren sounds all over Israel, and everything and everyone stops. Traffic is at a standstill. Business transactions are halted. People walking come to a stop and people at home pause whatever it is they're doing to stand and reflect and pray and mourn. And then it is repeated at 11AM the next day.

During this 24-hour period, the radios play mournful music and the national TV station runs the names of each and every soldier who died protecting Israel. And it's not a fast scroll of the names and it's done in an hour. For 24 hours, one name after the other will appear on the screen, along with their date of birth and the date of their sacrifice.

And then, when the day of mourning is done... we celebrate the creation of the State of Israel. Fireworks and drone shows, speeches and DJs. And then the next day there are jet fly overs courtesy of the Air Force, and we get together with friends and family and have our mandatory BBQ.

Corn Chowder

This is a very basic corn chowder recipe I got a long time ago. Of course, the measurements are for only a couple bowls of soup, and I tend to cook not just for several people, but for several people wanting several helpings. The original recipe called for green pepper, but I found it gave the soup a rather unappetizing grey tinge. The red peppers work much better.

Corn Chowder

1 potato, peeled & diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp unbleached flour
2 c. fresh or frozen corn
3 c. lowfat milk
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1) in a large pot over medium heat, saute the potato, onion and red pepper in the butter until the onion is soft, about 6-8 mins.

2) add the flour and mix well. then add the corn, milk, salt, and black pepper, stirring thoroughly.

3) turn the heat to low and simmer for about 20 mins, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are tender and the chowder has thickened (do not let it boil). Using a stick blender, blend the soup to the consistency you want - longer for a smooth soup, less time for chunks.

Asian Chicken and Corn Soup

 I originally found the recipe on the Dumpling Sisters page, but needed to scale it up for a family.

First, I poach a whole chicken in a few inches of water. Once it's cooked, I remove it from the pot to cool, but keep the poaching liquid for added flavor. Once it's cooled, I shred the chicken.

I can't get creamed corn where I live, so I put approximately 500 grams of thawed frozen corn into a blender and add a couple cup of water. Once it's been blitzed, I add it to the pot of poaching liquid. Since frozen bags of corn comes in 800 gram bags, I add the remaining whole corn to the pot as well.

2 liters of water, shredded chicken, a few chopped scallions, a healthy splash of soy sauce, salt, black pepper, and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil go into the pot as well.

Once it comes to a boil, I stir in a steady stream of raw egg (3 eggs mixed with 1/3 cup water).

I let it simmer for 30 minutes, and then it's ready to eat.