edamame soba salad with grilled salmon

i first had this amazing medley at clementines in century city (one of my fave places in la).  this salad includes 3 main ingredients: soba (super good-for-you, antioxidant-rich, gluten-free japanese buckwheat noodles), edamame (young soybeans that are super rich in antioxidants and fiber) and salmon (also very good for you!).  the dressing is super delicious with a yummy tartness, perfect for the summer.  this recipe is a MUST TRY!!!!!

ingredients:

- 1/2 cup rice vinegar

- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil

- 2 tablespoon sesame oil

- 1 tablespoon honey

-  lemon wedges (1 for dressing and a couple for the salmon)

- 1 teaspoon coarse salt

- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

- 1/2 cup shredded carrots

- 1 tablespoon finely minced shallots

- 3 green onion, finely diced

- 1/2 cup cilantro

- 1/2 teaspoon sriracha

- 3 tablespoon soy sauce

- 6 oz soba noodles

- 1/2 pound salmon fillets

- 1 12oz bag of frozen shelled edamame

directions:

- boil a pot of water and cook the soba noodles until al dente; rinse over cold water, drain and set aside

- boil another pot of water and cook the edamame for 4 minutes; rinse over cold water, drain and set aside

- grill the salmon until cooked through; squeeze a lemon wedge over salmon fillets

- remove the skin off the salmon fillets; set aside

- in a super large bowl, mix the rice vinegar, vegetable oil, sesame oil, honey, juice of 1 lemon wedge, salt, pepper, carrots, shallots, green onion, cilantro, sriracha and soy sauce

- add soba noodles and edamame to the bowl

- fork apart the salmon into pieces; add to bowl

- mix the salad carefully then refrigerate for at least an hour...then enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

vietnamese fresh spring rolls with 2 dipping sauces

the best thing about a vietnamese pho restaurant, in my opinion, is the fresh spring rolls they serve with the yummy dipping sauces...my FAVE!  since i no longer live close to any decent vietnamese restaurants, i started making them at home.  here is a super authentic recipe that delivers spring rolls that taste as good as golden deli (at least that's what i tell myself!).  enjoy!

ingredients:

- 2 ounces rice vermicelli

- 8 rice wrappers (8.5 inch diameter)

- 1/2 pound pork tenderloin

- 8 large cooked shrimp - peeled, deveined and cut in half

- handful of fresh thai basil, mint leaves and cilantro, thinly shredded 

- 1 small carrot, thinly shredded

- 2 lettuce leaves, thinly shredded

dipping sauce #1 (nuoc cham)

- 4 teaspoons fish sauce

- 1/4 cup warm water

- juice of half a lime

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1 tablespoon brown sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon garlic chili sauce

dipping sauce #2 (peanut hoisin sauce)

- 1/2 cup water

- 4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

- 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce

- 2 tablespoons sugar

- 1/4 teaspoon garlic chili sauce

directions:

- marinate pork with salt and pepper; cook in frying pan then set aside

- once pork is cool, slice into thin pieces and set aside

- prepare rice vermicelli noodles according to directions on the package; run the noodles under cool water, drain then set aside

- create a mini assembly line with the following: a large bowl of lukewarm water, a couple clean kitchen towels, a plate of cooked shrimp halves, a bowl of vermicelli, a bowl of chopped fresh herbs, a bowl of shredded lettuce and carrots mixed, a plate of pork slices, and an empty plate with a damp paper towel on top

- to assemble the rolls, soak a rice wrapper in the lukewarm water for a second, transfer to a kitchen towel, add a couple halves of shrimp to the center of the wrapper in a horizontal line, followed by some vermicelli noodles, herbs, lettuce, and a couple thin slices of pork all in the center of the wrapper in a horizontal line

- at the bottom of the horizontal line of ingredients, quickly fold the wrapper up, then fold in either side.  lastly, carefully fold the top of the wrapper in to complete the spring roll

- quickly place the spring roll on the empty plate and cover with damp paper towel; make the rest of the spring rolls following each step above

- i highly recommend serving the spring rolls ASAP with the dipping sauces (directions below)

- to make dipping sauce #1, dissolve sugar in warm water, then mix the rest of the ingredients in and set aside

- to make dipping sauce #2, puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth; refrigerate

- enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

amazing spicy tuna (for crispy rice, rolls and bowls!)

i'm a fan of good spicy tuna...sushi gen's spicy tuna, crispy rice at katsuya and definitely the spicy tuna bowl at teriyaki me in glendale (i miss teriyaki me!).  i feel like a lot of places make their spicy tuna too spicy so you can't taste the tuna or it's just really bland.  after experimenting and trying all sorts of variations of spicy tuna at home, here is a tried and true recipe for the best spicy tuna you'll ever have!

ingredients:

- 1 pound sashimi grade tuna

- 2 teaspoon mayo

- 2-3 teaspoon asian chili paste/sauce (ie: sriracha. i recommend the chili garlic sauce with the green cap and rooster)

- 1/2 teaspoon chili oil (ie: japanese rayu)

- dash of soy sauce

- 4 stalks of green onion, finely sliced

- 1 tablespoon smelt roe *optional

- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil *optional

-  lemon *optional

- rice and nori (for rolls or handrolls; see below)

- 4 tablespoons of butter and rice (for crispy rice; see below)

directions:

- mix the mayo, 2 teaspoon chili paste, chili oil, soy sauce, sliced green onion and sesame oil in a bowl.  taste the sauce.  if you want it spicier, add another teaspoon of chili paste

- dice the tuna into small pieces; add the tuna to the bowl with the sauce

- mix carefully. add a spritz of lemon if you want to add some acidity to the taste.  refrigerate immediately

- use the spicy tuna mixture in a handroll (rice and tuna rolled up in nori), in a roll (you know...a sushi roll!), over a bowl of rice or over some crispy rice!

crispy rice directions:

- create rectangular blocks of rice (approximately 4"x1"x1")

- over a hot skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter and a couple dashes of soy sauce

- when the butter starts to bubble, add the rice blocks and cook on each side until the rice gets crispy; remove

- let it cool a tad then spoon some of the spicy tuna mixture on top (garnish with a slice of jalapeno if you'd like!)

xoxo,

kara

spicy grilled chicken, korean style

i'm overly obsessed with my grill, and throughout the year (since it's always sunny in LA), i get to create fun recipes and grill all the time!  here is an easy and delish spicy grilled chicken recipe korean style...plus, it's perfect with tacos too, like kogi truck!

ingredients:

- 1 cup soy sauce

- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

- 2 tablespoons honey

- 1 tablespoon korean chili paste (kochuchang)

- 2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

- 6 cloves garlic, chopped

- 1 green onion, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

- 1 teaspoon sesame oil

- 1.5 teaspoon sesame seeds, optional

- 1-1.5 pound chicken, i recommend chicken breast

directions:

- cut the chicken in half and pound slightly to flatten a tad

- mix the rest of the ingredients together

- marinate the chicken for 4-8 hours or overnight in the fridge

- grill the chicken for 10 minutes on one side on medium heat

- grill the other side of the chicken until done...and enjoy in a taco, sandwich, with rice, anything!

xoxo,

kara

japanese sukiyaki

for those of you who don't know what sukiyaki is (other than that 90s song), it's one of my favorite japanese dishes.  sukiyaki is a delicious one pot meal that is usually cooked at the table (like shabu shabu), and the flavors from the beef and vegetables mixed with soy sauce and mirin are out-of-this-world delicious.  and the best part is the leftovers!  i love piling the leftovers on top of a warm bowl of rice...yummy!!

ingredients:

- 1.5 pounds thinly sliced beef, cut into large bite-size pieces

- 1 package shirataki noodles, washed and drained

- 10 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed then halved

- 1 package enoki mushroom, bottom trimmed

- 3 stalks green onion, washed and sliced into 2 inch pieces

- 1/2 napa cabbage, washed and cut into 2 inch wide pieces

- 1 package of grilled tofu or firm tofu, drained then cut into 1 inch pieces

for sukiyaki sauce:

- 1/2 cup mirin

- 1/2 cup sake

- 1/3 cup soy sauce

- 5 tablespoons brown sugar

- 3/4 cup water or chicken stock

directions:

- mix mirin, sake, soy sauce, brown sugar and chicken stock in a bowl

- heat a japanese style hot pot or a le creuset type of casserole over medium-high heat (or on a table-top stove)

- add a tablespoon of oil

- add half of the beef slices and saute for a few minutes until browned

- add the sukiyaki sauce mixture to pot

- move the beef over to one side of the pot, then add the vegetables, tofu and noodles in neat sectons

- let the broth come to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes

- reduce heat to a simmer; once all the ingredients are softened, it's ready!

- serve with rice (if you want to be super traditional, also dip ingredients into a bowl of raw beaten eggs).  enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

japanese-style chicken curry

i'm really not a big fan of instant, pre-made mixes or frozen, microwaveable foods...but when it comes to japanese curry, i always use curry sauce mix because it's so much easier, takes less time (30 minutes versus 3 hours?!), and it's soooo delicious! i have, of course, made some tweaks to the directions you can find on the back of the box to make this curry recipe the best you've ever had. 

ingredients:

- 2 brown onion

- 2 russet potatoes

- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

- 2 zucchini, cut into chunks

- 1.5 pounds chicken thigh, cut into chunks

- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth

- 1 package japanese curry mix (i highly recommend s&b tasty curry sauce mix in med hot) 

directions:

- first, cut the 2 onion into halves.  dice one of the halves into small pieces; cut the other 2 1/2 onion into chunks

- peel the russet potatoes and cut into large chunks so they won't disintegrate during the cooking process

- in a large pot, heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat and add the diced onion

- add chicken pieces into pot and cook until lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes

- add the rest of the onion chunks, potatoes, carrots and zucchini into the pot and cook for 5-8 minutes, still over high heat until lightly browned

- add chicken broth to pot and bring to a boil

- lower heat as soon as it comes to a boil; cover pot and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes until the veggies are cooked

- turn off heat, then add in curry squares and melt into broth

- simmer for an additional 8 minutes and gently stir occasionally

- serve with some hot white rice.  enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

korean-style spicy chicken

being half korean, i grew up eating korean food occasionally with my family.  one of my favorites was this spicy and super delicious chicken dish that my mom would make.  here is my take on my mom's spicy chicken dish; i've added various ingredients to add more "umph," and potatoes and onions to make it more hearty.  it's super super easy to make, and i think you're going to love it!

marinade ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon soy
- 2 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seed
- 1 tablespoon (or more if you want it spicy!) of kochuchang (korean style chili paste)
- 1 teaspoon chili pepper (korean style)
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of crushed garlic, about 3 garlic cloves
- 3 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

other ingredients:
- 1 pound chicken thigh, cut into large bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 4 red potatoes or 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 green onion stalk, sliced

directions:
- mix the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl
- add the chicken and onion to the marinade and let it sit for 10 minutes
- heat a large skillet with a dash of vegetable oil over high heat
- add the potatoes and cook for 3 minutes
- add the chicken, onion and some of the marinade to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes
- lower the heat to medium, gently stir the ingredients, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through
- once done, turn off the heat, add the green onion slices and transfer to a plate
- serve with some hot white rice.  enjoy!

xoxo,
kara

oyako donburi

my favorite dish in the world is oyako donburi; it reminds me of my summers in japan growing up, and my dad and i cooking together on weekends as a kid.  i love the blend of simple, japanese tastes - soy sauce, mirin, dashi stock and green onion.  the best part about this dish is its name: oya = adult, ko = child...get it chicken (oya) + egg (ko)!

ingredients:

- 4 cup cooked japanese rice

- 3/4 - 1 pound chicken thigh, cut into pieces

- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

- 1 2/3 cup chicken stock or dashi soup stock

- 8 tablespoons soy sauce

- 4 tablespoons mirin

- 3 tablespoons brown sugar

- 4 eggs, lightly beaten

- 1 green onion, thinly cut

directions:

- heat chicken stock/dashi soup stock over medium heat in a saucepan or skillet

- put cut chicken thigh in a bowl and cover with 2 tablespoons of mirin; let rest for 5 minutes

- add soy sauce, leftover mirin and brown sugar to broth

- add chicken to broth and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes

- add sliced onion to broth and simmer for an additional 3 minutes

- bring broth to a boil for 5 minutes, until onion are soft

- add lightly beaten eggs over chicken and onion in broth; turn down the heat to low and cover with a lid for 1 minute

- sprinkle in green onion slices; turn off the heat, cover with lid and let it rest for an additional minute

- to assemble, add hot rice to individual bowls.  with a large spoon, scoop individual portions of the chicken and egg topping and soupy stock into each bowl.  enjoy!

xoxo, 

kara

amazing cabbage pork shrimp dumplings

these super juicy, delicious dumplings might take an extra hour to make, but they're super yummy and worth the wait (and work)!  plus - it's really fun making dumplings with friends and family.  throw a dumpling party!

 

ingredients:

- 1 package of refrigerated dumpling skins

- 3/4 pound raw shrimp, shelled and deveined

- 3/4 pound ground pork (not the super lean stuff!)

- 2 cups of finely chopped napa cabbage (approx. 1/2 head of cabbage)

- 2 teaspoons kosher salt

- 3 stalks green onions, thinly sliced

- 3 large cloves of garlic, minced

- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

- 1 tablespoon soy sauce

- 2 tablespoons rice wine (or dry sherry)

- 1 teaspoon toasted asian sesame oil

- ½ teaspoon sugar

- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

dipping sauce (just combine together!)

- 1 teaspoon asian chili sauce

- 1/4 cup soy sauce

- 2 teaspoon toasted asian sesame oil

- ½ teaspoon sugar

- ½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar

directions for the filling:

- in a medium bowl, toss the cabbage and kosher salt together and set aside for 30 minutes

- put cabbage into a kitchen towel or cheesecloth and wring out as much liquid as possible

- coarsely chop the raw shrimp

- in a large bowl, combine the cabbage, pork, shrimp, green onion, garlic, ginger, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and pepper

- cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes

directions for making dumplings:

- spoon 1 teaspoon of filling onto dumpling skin

- brush some water around the edge of the dumpling skin and fold in half

- pinch the corners, then pleat one side of the dumpling skin toward the center (see picture)

- to ensure the dumpling pleats stay intact, use a tiny bit of additional water if necessary

- place finished dumplings on a lined baking sheet, in a single layer so they don't touch each other

directions for pan-searing/frying dumplings:

- heat vegetable oil in a skillet until hot

- place the dumplings flat side down on the skillet over medium-high heat

- cook until the bottoms are lightly golden, about 1-2 minutes

- add 1/4 cup water, cover with a lid, and steam dumplings, 3-4 minutes

- remove lid and cook off any liquid, 1 minute

- serve with the amazing dipping sauce!  enjoy!

xoxo,

kara