Miso Udon Noodle Soup with Spicy Korean Chili Dressing

With snow possible today in Minnesota, we are definitely in the mood for soup as well. One that’s a little spicy and salty, but healthy & hearty too.  So we used our new Spicy Korean Chili Seasoning in this Japanese-inspired Miso Udon Noodle Soup.

Miso – the beloved and versatile Japanese ingredient, generally made from fermented soy beans – makes a sensational, vegetarian soup broth that matches well with udon noodles, silken tofu, mushrooms, and a handful of greens. To give this Miso Udon Noodle Soup a final Japanese touch, top with scallions and nori. 

This base soup makes a nourishing meal on a chilly day, but to really warm up, try it with our Spicy Korean Chili Seasoning. Mix the seasoning with toasted sesame oil and add it into the soup. Or use it as a dipping sauce for the tofu and mushrooms.

Ingredients:
2 servings of udon noodles
3 1/2 cups of water
4-5 shiitake or baby bella mushrooms – thinly sliced
silken tofu – cubed
3 1/2 tbsp of miso paste
1 bunch of spinach or bok choy
Nori sheet – cut into strips
4 scallions – thinly sliced

Dressing:
1 tbsp of Season with Spice’s Spicy Korean Chili Seasoning
Toasted sesame oil - to form seasoning into a paste (you can add more for additional flavor)

Method: 
1. In a soup pot, bring water to a boil and cook udon according to package instructions. Drain and divide into your serving bowls.

2. While the noodles are cooking, whisk together our Spicy Korean Chili Seasoning with toasted sesame oil in a small bowl.

3. Using the same soup pot, add 3 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes until mushrooms are tender. Add in the tofu and cook for another minute.

4. Divide the mushrooms & tofu between the two serving bowls (but leave the water in the pot)
.
5. Keep the soup at a steady rolling boil. Place spinach or bok choy onto a slotted spoon and blanch quickly, just until the vegetables begin to wilt. Then divide the greens into the two serving bowls.

6. Turn heat off, then gently add in the miso paste. Stir well until completely dissolved. Taste and add in a bit more miso paste or water to your liking.

7. Lastly, ladle the hot soup into each bowl. Top with nori sheets and scallions. Serve together with the Spicy Korean Chili Dressing.

Notes: 
1. You can definitely add in some other vegetables as well. Try carrots, wakame seaweed, napa cabbage or pickled bamboo shoots.

2. You can either serve the dressing separately in a sauce dish for dipping, or add the dressing directly into the soup after dissolving the miso paste.

3. To preserve the health benefits and flavor of miso, it's important not to boil it. Make sure to turn the fire off before adding in the miso paste.
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Grilled Corn with Sichuan Pepper Sea Salt & Smoked Serrano Chili Pepper

With a spicy, salty, citrusy, smoky and numbing flavor, the mix of these two spices will liven up any veggie dish from steamed broccoli, to stir-fried Brussels sprouts, to baked potatoes. And planning ahead, you can even surprise everyone at the Thanksgiving table this year by adding a few dashes of each spice into the pot of corn.

Ingredients:
Sweet corn
Olive oil
Butter
Sichuan Pepper Sea Salt  
Smoked Serrano Chili Powder

Process:
1. Peel back the husks of the sweet corn, so they point in the opposite direction. Then remove the silky inner strands with a brush.

2. Preheat the grill on high. Lightly brush each cob with olive oil, and place on the grill with the cobs over the fire and the husks over the front edge to prevent burning. Turn fire down to medium.

3. Using the husks as handles, turn the corn every two minutes (and switch their places), in order to grill evenly. Once lightly charred – about 12-15 minutes – serve immediately with butter, Sichuan pepper sea salt, and smoked serrano chili powder.

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Grilled Calamari with Cumin

I slathered calamari (squid) with cumin, chopped garlic, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Slid the pan on the top rack of the oven, turned on the broiler, watched the edges of the squid rings curl, and smelled the wonderful aroma of the nutty cumin and the bite of garlic. When the rings slightly charred, with a perfect crisp and tenderness, I quickly removed the pan. Knowing they were too hot to eat didn't stop me from popping one into my mouth. The flavor was worth burning my tongue.

What you’ll need:
10 medium size squid, cleaned and sliced into rings
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro or basil or parsley
Lemon wedge

Process:
1. Wash each squid thoroughly and pat them dry with paper towels. Cut squid body into rings, approximately 2cm wide.
2. In a bowl, mix olive oil, garlic, cumin, onion powder, cayenne pepper, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
3. Add squid rings (and tentacles) to bowl; tossing well to coat with the spice seasoning. Cover and let marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
4. Place squid on grill rack and broil in oven for 2-3 minutes on each side. The edges should curl up and char.
5. Squeeze lemon over squid and garnish with fresh herbs. Serve with a light salsa or any green salad. 

Notes:
1. What's the difference between squid and calamari?  They're the same. Calamari is just the culinary term used for cooked squid.
2. Most people prefer to remove the purplish skin on the squid for a cleaner look, but the skin is edible, and I usually leave it on for grilling.
3. The grilled calamari should be lightly browned, firm and chewy, not rubbery. Be sure to keep a close eye on it to avoid overcooking.
4. Don’t have an oven or grill? You can also pan fry the calamari with the same seasoning.

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Masak Lemak Ketam

This gravy is rich and savoury with a spicy edge, an absolute perfect mate for a crab's sweet meat.

Ingredients
3 flower crabs
2 red onions
3 cloves of garlic
2 cm fresh turmeric
½ inch fresh galangal
20 bird's eye chillies
1 stalk of lemongrass
1 turmeric leaf
3 pieces assam gelugur (dried tamarind)
200ml coconut cream
1½ Tbs brown sugar (optional)
Salt
2 Tbs oil

Method
Blend onions, garlic, chillies, fresh turmeric and fresh galangal with some water until you get a pale yellow paste.

Heat oil and fry paste until fragrant (pecah minyak). Put in lemongrass (that has been bruised), dried tamarind and turmeric leaf and stir it in.

Add brown sugar and after that is well mixed, pour in the coconut cream. Let it simmer for 5 minutes then put in the crabs, add salt to taste.

Close the lid so that the sweetness of the crabs will infuse the gravy.

Let it steam and simmer for 10 minutes.

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Mee Bandung

A popular Johorean dish, Mi Bandung is made by cooking noodles in a thick broth and then garnishing it with beef strips, prawns and veg. The addition of poached egg makes it even more tastier. So flavourful that you'll want more than one bowl!

Ingredients

To be blended :

7-8 Shallots

4 Cloves Garlic

15 Dried Chilies

½ Cup Dried Shrimp

1 Cup Water

Noodles and Ingredients for the broth :

4 Tbs Oil

1 Tbs Oyster Sauce

6 Cup of Beef Stock

A Handful of Sawi ( Chinese Mustard Leaves ), roughly chopped

A Handful of Chinese Cabbage, roughly chopped

15 Fresh Prawns

200 gm Beef ( Boil the beef until tender for about 20 minutes then slice into strips)

2 Eggs

600 gm Egg Noodles

A pinch of Salt

1 tsp Sugar

Method

1. Blend the shallots, garlic, dried chillies, dried shrimp and water into a fine paste. Heat up oil in wok, sauté blended ingredients until fragrant.

2. Stir in oyster sauce and beef stock.

3. Mix in sawi, chinese cabbage, prawns and beef strips. Leave to simmer.

4. Then, bring to boil and crack eggs into wok. Do not stir.

5. Season with salt and sugar.

6. Lastly, add the egg noodles and let it cook for about a minute.

 Mix in sawi, chinese cabbage, prawns and beef strips.

Add egg into the wok. 

 Make sure to season with salt and sugar before you add the noodles.

 Add in the noodles.

 Let the noodles cook for a minute.

 Once the noodles are cooked, ladle some into a plate.

Mee Bandung Ready!!!!....Nyum..Nyum

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A classic Negori Dish - Masak Lemak Nangka

Masak Lemak is a signature dish from the Southern state of Negeri Sembilan. Young jackfruit is best cooked this way because coconut milk balances its earthy flavours wonderfully. This is a fiery dish so lessen the chillies if you can't handle the heat.

Ingredients
500g young jackfruit ( nangka ), chopped and boiled
2 chicken thighs, sliced into bite-sized pieces
3 stalks of lemongrass, bruised
A handful of bird's eye chillies ( cili padi ), pounded
2 tsp turmeric powder
Coconut Milk, extracted from 1 coconut
1 Cup Water
A pinch of Salt

Method
1. Boil the young jackfruit ( nangka ) for 30 minutes or until it starts to soften.
2. Drain the water.
3. Pound chillies and turmeric powder together. Add lemon grass and continue pounding until the mixture forms a paste.
4. In a wok, combine chicken with pounded ingredients.
5. Cook for 10 minutes.
6. Add in coconut milk.
7. Add in water. Leave it to boil.
8. Add in cooked jackfruit and simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Season well. Cook for a further 10 minutes and it's done.

Here are the ingredients you need for this classic Negori dish.

Boil the young jackfruit (nangka) for 30 minutes or until it starts to soften.

Pound chillies and turmeric powder together.

Add lemon grass and continue pounding until the mixture forms a paste.

In a wok, combine chicken with pounded ingredients.

Add in coconut milk and water.

Add in cooked jackfruit and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Cook for a further 10 minutes

Done all ready....Nyumm...nyummm

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Ayam Goreng Mamak

This fried chicken is a famous staple at Indian-Muslim ( mamak ) joints across Malaysia. Crispy, juicy and bursting with spices, it's sinful and greasy but so freakin' delicious which makes it simply irresistible.

Ingredients
3 Large Chicken Drumsticks, scored

Aromatics
4 cloves Garlic
1 Large Onion
an of inch Ginger

Spice Mix
1 Tbs Chicken Curry Powder
½ Tbs White Pepper
2 Tbs Chilli Powder
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar (optional)

For Frying
2 sprigs Curry Leaf
Enough Oil for deep-frying

Method
1. Blend aromatics into a thick paste.
2. Combine the spice mix and aromatics paste together. Coat the chicken with the mixture and marinade for at least 2 hours. ( Overnight is best )
3. Heat up enough oil for deep-frying.
4. Once the oil starts to heat up, add curry leaves.
5. When the leaves start to crisp up, carefully put the chicken pieces in.
6. Fry the chicken until it turns a reddish golden brown colour.
7. Once done, take the chicken out of the oil and rest for 5 mins, then cut into smaller pieces and serve.

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