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

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

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