Dak Galbi

We've never had Korean food before, so I cannot claim that this is authentic, but when I saw this recipe, it looked good and seemed easy, so we decided to give it a try. Since it was a stir fry of sorts, I incorporated some rice to the dish, although it would have been just as delicious on its own. My favorite part might have been the potatoes, which i didn't realize until Joel told me that they are in a lot of Asian dishes. The ingredient that stuck out the most to me was the curry powder, which shows how potent it is, since it is the ingredient with the smallest amount of volume in the dish. I think that this marinade would have been just as delicious on a piece of stand alone chicken, too. Or swap it out for tofu in the stir fry to make it vegetarian. The possibilities are endless. Just don't go and grab the sriracha like Joel almost did. This is spicy enough on it's own…so use additional heat at your own risk!

2 Chicken Breasts or 4 Chicken Thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons Chili Paste
2 tablespoons Rice WIne Vinegar
1 tablespoon Red Chili Flakes 
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tablespoon Kecap Manis or Molasses
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Curry Paste
1 teaspoon Curry Powder
1/4 teaspoon Freshly Grated Ginger
2-3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
3-4 Small Potatoes, finely chopped
1 Shallot, minced
2 Bell Peppers, roughly chopped
Toasted Sesame Seeds, for garnish
Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

In a medium bowl, whisk together the chili paste, rice wine vinegar, chili flakes, soy sauce, sesame oil, keycap manic or molasses, sugar, curry paste, curry powder, and ginger. Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces and add them to the bowl, making sure to evenly coat each piece with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight. Dice the potatoes very finely, mince the shallot, and chop the peppers. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a wok and cook the potatoes over medium-high heat, until they begin to blister and brown, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots, peppers, and chicken (along with the marinade) and cook over medium-high heat until the chicken is completely cooked and the potatoes are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Serve garnished with sliced scallions and sesame seeds. 

SOURCE: The Crepes of Wrath

Singapore Noodles

I absolutely love being a part of recipe swaps and clubs, because it introduces me to different blogs from all over the world. For the February installment of Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to the blog Wandering Spice, which is written by Yasmeen who lives in Australia! While reading through her blog, I had a few Middle Eastern recipes saved that I wanted to try. I let Joel look through the recipe index, just in case there was another recipe that he wanted me to try first before I went ahead with my choice. As soon as he saw this recipe for Singapore Noodles, he begged me to make them, since they are his favorite. I did have a little bit of trouble finding the Madras Curry Paste, but at the third grocery store, I found it in the Indian food aisle. As soon as I opened the jar, I knew that this meal was going to be delicious! This meal came together so quickly and the end result was so delicious! Joel said that it didn't taste exactly like the Singapore noodles the he has had in the past, but he liked this dish anyway. I didn't know any better, since I've never had this dish before, and I enjoyed this meal very much!

1 nest Fresh Egg Noodles or 3 nests Dry Egg Noodles (I used a package of "Chinese Noodles" I found at a specialty shop)
4 ounces Broccoli, cut into small florets
1 Red Bell Pepper, julienned
1 Carrot, julienned
3 ounces Fresh or Canned Baby Corn, quartered lengthwise
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
4-5 Fresh or Frozen Prawns per serving (we used 4 jumbo prawns total)
1 thumb-sized piece Ginger, grated
1 rounded tablespoon Madras Curry Paste
2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
2/3 cup Water
2 tablespoons Canola Oil

Prepare noodles according to package directions. In a large wok, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the broccoli, carrot, red pepper, and corn with the ginger and garlic until softened, but still a bit crisp. If the broccoli won't soften, add a drop or two of water and cook until it evaporates. Set the vegetables aside on a plate. Add the remaining oil to the wok and sauté the prawns until translucent. Set aside with the vegetables. Add the curry paste and soy sauce to the pan and sauté for 1 minute. Then, add the water and bring to a boil. Add the cooked noodles to the curry sauce and toss to coat, then return the vegetables and shrimp to the pan and sauté to heat through and combine flavors. Serve immediately with lime wedges as a garnish.